It seems like the "Step 1, Step 2, …, Step 4" format likely predated the 1998 South Park episode, with use on Usenet for omitting dangerous or legally questionable instructions or otherwise gatekeeping "trade" secrets: https://arstechnica.com/civis/threads/where-does-the-step-st...

There's also a bit of prior art with the cartoon by Sidney Harris published in American Scientist in 1977 with a step two abridged as "Then A Miracle Occurs": http://www.sciencecartoonsplus.com/images/miracle_sharris.gi...