The Real Reason The Pioneer Woman Won't Order This Food At A Restaurant

Ree Drummond can pretty much cook anything and make us want to pull out a fork for a bite. The self-taught cook, who had an eye on a career in journalism, has really built an empire around her culinary prowess. Drummond, who has also become synonymous with her Pioneer Woman moniker from her blog that started it all, shared with USA Today that she never planned or imagined the success cooking would bring her way. "I think that's part of why it's been so much fun, because it wasn't ever a direction I thought my life would head. Yet I'm still at home on the ranch, and I'm able to do these things that I'm passionate about," she said. Today, Drummond can count her own cookware line, multiple cookbooks, a shop, her magazine, and a cooking show on her long and impressive list of accomplishments. 

But at the end of the day, it's Drummond's food that keeps fans drooling and perusing The Pioneer Woman recipe catalog. We especially love when she shares helpful kitchen tips and tricks, like the secret ingredient to her creamy potatoes or how to make the perfect steak. And of course, we can't help but get our taste buds fired up for Drummond's pan-fried pork chops. When you're like Drummond and can make pretty much anything that tastes amazing, it begs the question, what does The Pioneer Woman order when she dines out, and what does she avoid ordering up when she eats at a restaurant?

In an interview with Delish, Ree Drummond shared that when she gets all dressed up and dines out, the one food she doesn't ever order is steak, but readily enjoys a good sushi roll. Drummond told the outlet, "I love sushi, and I usually order it because it's the farthest thing from what I make at home. The last thing I'd order is steak; it's one of my favorite dinners, but we cook it all the time."

It makes a lot of sense that Drummond would go straight to the sushi when she dines out, because one of the last things we would order at a restaurant is Kraft macaroni and cheese — not that we don't love it, but when you cook something with great frequency and you cook it well, there's no need to order it at a restaurant, right? Okay, maybe us cooking up a box of Kraft mac and cheese and The Pioneer Woman cooking a perfect steak aren't on the same level, but still. It also seems pretty obvious that a woman who lives on a cattle ranch and cooks up rib eyes with cowboy butter and steak sheet pan suppers on television might have some strong opinions about what makes a good steak. On The Pioneer Woman blog, she even posed the question, "Why go to a steakhouse when you can make perfect ribeye at home?" We couldn't agree more.

If The Pioneer Woman won't order steak at a restaurant because she can make the perfect rib-eye at home, the logical next question is "How?" A quick search on The Pioneer Woman blog for the word "steak" brings up over 200 results, including one of her first ever blog posts, aptly titled "How To Cook A Steak." In the post, Drummond instructs readers to select a nicely marbled, boneless rib-eye. She says to cook your steak over medium to medium-high heat, making sure that the pan is very hot before adding the meat. While Drummond prefers to cook steak on cast iron, it's not a requirement — as long as you're not using non-stick, everything should turn out fine. 

Drummond recommends seasoning the steak with Lawry's Seasoned Salt and McCormick Lemon Pepper, and using butter to grease your pan. For a one-inch steak, Drummond says you'll want to flip it exactly at three minutes and 45 seconds (if you're using a grill pan, you can also rotate the steak after one minute and 45 seconds to create a classic cross-hatched pattern).

The second side is just like the first: three minutes and 45 seconds, with an optional one minute and 45 seconds rotation. The result? A perfect medium rare rib-eye as good as any steakhouse would provide.