I set up five cameras throughout my kitchen to document the process of making a steak dinner with two side dishes for three people. My goal was to complete the meal in under 31 minutes. Why five cameras? Countless recipe videos online are edited to showcase the best shots in a concise format. While efficient, these videos often fail to capture the realities of home cooking. They don’t address the questions that arise during the process, such as when to retrieve ingredients, which dish to prioritize, how to multitask, or how to handle unexpected hiccups. This experiment aims to show the authentic home cooking experience, warts and all.
My menu consisted of steaks, orzo salad, and roasted broccoli. I chose three distinct items to illustrate movement and workflow within the kitchen. My first priority was the orzo, as it requires cooking, draining, and cooling slightly.
Preparing orzo pasta in a pot on the stove
After starting the orzo, I gathered the remaining ingredients from the refrigerator: steaks, cheeses, and the components for a chimichurri sauce, which would double as the orzo salad dressing and a steak topping.
I seasoned the two large New York strip steaks generously with salt. I prefer to add pepper later to maintain its sharp bite.
Seasoning New York strip steaks with salt
While the steaks rested, I prepared the chimichurri. I rinsed the parsley to remove any grit, then combined it with chopped Calabrian peppers for heat, garlic, and tarragon vinegar for acidity. A splash of olive oil completed the sauce.
Chopping fresh parsley for chimichurri sauce
Next, I preheated the oven’s broiler for the broccoli. The broiler is an often-underutilized feature, perfect for quick, high-heat cooking. I tossed the broccoli florets with olive oil and salt, reserving the pepper and lemon for a final flourish.
Preparing fresh broccoli florets for roasting
The orzo finished cooking and I moved on to the salad components, chopping tomatoes and red onion. I briefly considered dicing the tomatoes smaller but decided against it, prioritizing speed. I rinsed the cooked orzo and combined it with the chopped vegetables, garbanzo beans, and crumbled feta cheese.
Mixing orzo pasta salad ingredients in a bowl
With the orzo salad complete, it was time to focus on the steaks. I patted them dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture and placed them on a hot griddle. While the steaks cooked, I cleaned the accumulated dishes, demonstrating the multitasking inherent in home cooking.
Cooking steaks on a hot griddle
Once the steaks developed a good sear, I added a touch of butter and lowered the heat. I briefly moved the broccoli from the oven to prevent overcooking. While the steaks finished, I freshly ground peppercorns using a mortar and pestle.
Grinding peppercorns using a mortar and pestle
Finally, after a slight delay due to a camera battery issue, the steaks reached the desired internal temperature. I let them rest before slicing and topping with the chimichurri sauce. The broccoli received a final sprinkle of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
Sliced steak topped with chimichurri sauce, served with orzo salad and roasted broccoli
The entire process took approximately 39 minutes, slightly longer than my initial goal. Despite the minor setback, the meal was a success. The combination of flavorful steak, bright orzo salad, and charred broccoli was satisfying and well-received.
