The second essential step is to get the oil hot enough: 350 degrees or a little higher.
But the air approach was an essential step in the process.
It is also an essential first step on the path to understanding science.
Individual ownership of land was seen as an essential step.
So the formal stage is an essential step in the learning process.
The Tiangong-1 is an essential step toward the goal of building a space station.
Coming clean is the essential first step on the road to an open and democratic society.
This is an important - and essential - first step in a long process.
But while you struggle with all that, remember the essential first step.
All are essential steps in the return of American oil companies.