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Beefsteak and Oysters

A steak served with oysters in a buttery, nutmeg‑flavored gravy.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
By Margaret Brown · From a historical cookbook (Project Gutenberg) · 3 ingredients
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Why it works: Oyster and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,184 recipes. Both carry 2,6-nonadienal, which smells cucumber, green. The science ↓

Beefsteak and Oysters

Ingredients

Directions

Cook the steak

  1. Take a tender sirloin steak and put it in a hot skillet.

  2. Fry the steak for 15 minutes.

Make the oyster gravy

  1. When done, take the hearts out of 1 quart of oysters.

  2. Put the oysters in the skillet where the steak came out.

  3. Sprinkle a little flour over the oysters.

  4. Add a small piece of butter.

  5. Add a little of the oyster liquor.

  6. Cook until enough to make a nice gravy.

  7. Season to taste and add a little nutmeg.

Serve

  1. Put the steak on a platter.

  2. Pour the oyster gravy over the steak.

  3. Serve hot.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

195Calories
10 gProtein
15 gFat
6 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Oyster6 medium (84g)81
Nutmeg1 tsp ground (2.2g)12

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By Margaret Brown. Recipe from a historical cookbook (Project Gutenberg).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Oyster + buttertop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together8,184 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, green).

  2. Butter + nutmegtop 16% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together24,377 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  3. Oyster + nutmegtop 24% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,434 recipes

    Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Oysters
Provide the main flavor and, with their liquor, the body of the gravy.
Flour (in the method)
Thickens the pan juices into a smooth gravy.
Butter
Adds richness and fat that carries flavor into the gravy.
Sirloin steak (in the method)
Forms the meat base; searing in a hot pan browns its surface.

The step that matters

Cook the oysters until the gravy thickens. Flour needs enough heat and time in the fat and liquid to cook out its raw taste and thicken fully. Oysters should be heated just until they firm and curl, since overcooking makes them tough.

Swap the nutmeg

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (oyster, butter):

  1. Capersfits better
  2. Parsleyfits about as well
  3. Nutmegthe original
  4. Thymefits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against oyster, butter. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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