An early kickoff means breakfast in the lot, and steak and eggs is one pan on the grill. Salt the strips the night before. At the lot, set a cast-iron skillet on the grate, get it hot and sear the steaks, turning every couple of minutes. Spoon butter and a sprig of rosemary over them at the end, check that they read 145°F and let them rest. While they rest, the eggs go into the same skillet with a splash of water and a lid, so the yolks set firm without flipping. Slice the steak across the grain, lay the eggs next to it, and pepper everything.
At the lot: Salt the steaks at home, ride them and the eggs at the bottom of the cooler, and cook it all in one skillet on the grill; plan on about 35 minutes from lighting to plates. Homegating: Same cook in a skillet on the stove, with the fan on.
145°F
Steak, then a 3-minute rest
FIRM
Whites and yolks, lid on
35 MIN
Lighting to plates
4
Serves
Ingredients
Steak
- 2 boneless NY strip steaks, 1 to 1¼ inches thick, about 12 oz each
- 2 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; 1¼ tsp if Morton)
- 1 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Eggs
- 8 large eggs
- 1 tbsp butter, if the pan is dry
- ¼ tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; a pinch if Morton)
- Coarse black pepper
Steps
At home
- The night before, or at least 1 hour ahead, pat the steaks dry and salt them on all sides. Set them on a rack over a plate and leave them uncovered in the fridge.
- Pack the steaks in a sealed bag or lidded container and the eggs in their carton in a zip-top bag. Both ride at the bottom of the cooler at 40°F or below, below anything ready to eat.
At the lot
- Set a 12-inch cast-iron skillet on the grill over high heat and give it about 10 minutes with the lid down.
- Pat the steaks dry, rub them with the oil and season with the pepper. Lay them in the skillet and turn them every 2 minutes, 8 to 12 minutes in all. If the crust gets too dark before the center catches up, slide the skillet to a cooler part of the grill.
- For the last 2 minutes, add the butter and rosemary, tip the skillet and spoon the butter over the steaks.
- Check that the center of the thickest part reads 145°F. If it doesn't, give it another 2 minutes and check again. Move the steaks to a cutting board and rest them 3 minutes. Wash your hands and the tongs after the raw meat.
- Turn the heat to medium. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat, or add the butter if the pan is dry. Crack in 4 eggs and season them with salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes, until the whites set at the edges.
- Splash about 2 tablespoons of water into the pan and cover it with a lid or a tent of foil. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the whites and yolks are firm. Slide the eggs onto plates and cook the other 4 the same way. Wash your hands after the raw eggs.
- Slice the steaks across the grain and serve them with the eggs and the rosemary. Leftover steak goes back in the cooler at 40°F or below; nothing sits out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
Pack for the lot
What is the best steak for steak and eggs?
Any steak that cooks fast in a skillet. This one uses NY strip: boneless, even in thickness and the right size for one pan. Ribeye and sirloin work the same way.
What temperature should the steak be?
Check that the center reads 145°F, then rest it 3 minutes. That's USDA's safe temperature for whole cuts of beef. Medium-rare is about 130°F to 135°F; 145°F is medium, so it will be less pink than the steak in the photo.
Can I make the eggs with runny yolks?
USDA says to cook eggs until the whites and yolks are firm. Runny yolks carry a risk of salmonella, and the risk matters most for young kids, older adults, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system. If you want runny yolks, buy pasteurized eggs in the shell, which lower that risk, and fry them sunny side up without the lid.
How do you cook steak and eggs on a grill?
Set a cast-iron skillet or a griddle right on the grate and get it hot. The steaks sear in the pan, and the eggs cook in the same pan once the steaks come out to rest.
How do you carry raw steak and eggs to a tailgate?
Sealed, at the bottom of the cooler at 40°F or below, below anything that's ready to eat. Keep the eggs in their carton inside a zip-top bag.
More breakfast for early kickoffs: ham, egg and cheese sandwiches, make-ahead breakfast burritos and biscuits and chocolate gravy. More steak: reverse-sear ribeye and grilled tri-tip. To drink: a Bloody Mary bar or hot chocolate. Cold mornings: our cold-weather tailgating guide.
