“President Eisenhower’s favorite “eatin’ food is thick juicy steak, and next to eating it he likes best to prepare it. The Chief Executive is a skilled steak cook. Following is his favorite recipe: Sirloin tip four inches thick… Put in flat, wide bowl containing dry mixture of salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Roll and rub steak in mixture until thoroughly saturated. Several hours before cooking, build a fire on the ground with basket of charcoal. Keep fire going strong until charcoal has formed thick bed of red hot coals. Forty minutes before serving steak, throw it directly on bed of live coals. Do not use grate, grill or any other device, but put the meat squarely on live coals. Turn steak over several times, but keep it on fire around 35 minutes. Then remove, and slice slant-wise about ½ inch thick.” — Robert S. Allen column, carried in: Chester Times. Chester, Pennsylvania. Thursday, 26 November 1953. Page 6.
Whether steak was actually Eisenhower’s favourite food, though, is disputed. A female columnist of the time had a viewpoint that differed from the male columnist above.
“Pumpkin Pie and Old Fashioned Stew head the list of favorite foods of our President according to Syril Ivler, home service director of Publicity Associates of New York. With everyone else writing about our new Chief Executive and his wife, we just had to find out something about his favorite foods, hence this picture and recipes. Miss Ivler says the President’s preference is for simple, typically American food, such as chicken soup, old fashioned beef stew and pumpkin pie. Mrs. Eisenhower said they like soup and stew cooked all day if possible. Beef cut up in pieces, small whole onions, salt, pepper and if possible a whole day’s “steaming, stewing and simmering.” A generous helping of Kitchen Bouquet is sometimes added to make more and darker gravy. Sweet cole slaw, made by shredding cabbage with a few carrots and onions and marinating in heavy sweet cream, with cider vinegar and spiced with celery salt, pepper and paprika is always served with the stew.” — Lewellyn, Hattie. Favorite Foods of Our President. San Antonio, Texas: San Antonio Express. 23 January 1953. Section M, page 10.
History Notes
“One day in Texas, a three-starred general strode through an army camp kitchen on inspection and without breaking stride grabbed up a chunk of raw steak and plopped it into his mouth. “Holy smoke!” gasped a sergeant. “The general likes his meat raw.” ….
[At his apartment in London] Eisenhower insists on brewing his own coffee and frequently whips up a snack on an electric utensil given him by Margaret Biddle, wife of Ambassador Biddle. Those who have been fortunate enough to sample the general’s dishes agree he’s a good cook. He got his experience in his Kansas home where he and his five brothers used to prepare the Sunday dinner on mother’s day off each week.
“The “raw steak” incident actually is a bit misleading; as a matter of fact Eisenhower prefers his steaks medium-rare, but he eats the same rations in his hotel as the other guests, making no effort to get special food which would be available to him in the U. S. army larder.” Gallagher, Wes. U. S. Commander of Forces in Britain Is Tough Soldier but Genial Friend. Joplin, Missouri: Joplin Globe. 6 September 1942. Page 2.