Steak sandwich (Australia)

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Wagyu steak sandwich with fries, served in Melbourne, Australia Wagyu Steak Sandwich - half - Sapore AUD18.jpg
Wagyu steak sandwich with fries, served in Melbourne, Australia

A steak sandwich is a dish in Australian cuisine consisting of a piece of steak on a bun, roll, or between slices of bread, often with a variety of other ingredients. It is sometimes called a steak sanga or a steak burger.

Contents

The term steak sandwich is also known in the UK and the US, but is used for other sandwich styles featuring slices of steak or roast beef.

Description

The sandwich always includes a steak as its main filling, typically not sliced in any way. Other ingredients vary, and it can be served on a bun, roll, or between slices of bread. [1] [2] [3] [4] When served on a bun, it is sometimes called a steak burger.

Popularity

WAToday called the sandwich an "all-time classic" and "iconic". [5]

The sandwich is known throughout the country but is particularly popular in Western Australia. [5] [6] [7] [1] The Australian Hotels Association of Western Australia has held an annual steak sandwich competition from the late 2000s. [2] [3] An instagrammer in Perth who reviews steak sandwiches locally and around the country has achieved a "cult following" among Perth foodies, according to Perth is Ok! [4]

In 2009 Quantas removed their version of the sandwich from the menu for first-class passengers and reinstated it after protests from customers. [8]

In 2025 a steak sandwich variation, steak frites mitraillete, based on the Belgian dish steak frites, was served at the Australian Open. [9] ESPN described the sandwich as making "a giant splash". [9] [10]

Similarly-named dishes

Steak sandwiches are known in the UK and the US. The UK versions typically consist of slices of steak on a bun. [11] The US versions typically consist of very thinly-sliced or shaved steak cooked on a griddle or of thinly-sliced roast beef. Both types are sometimes topped with other ingredients, are served on a bun or roll, and are sometimes served with a dipping sauce.

In the US, "steak burger" is a marketing term for a hamburger that ostensibly uses higher-quality cuts of beef than in a typical American hamburger to create the patty. [12] [13] [14]

References

  1. 1 2 "Perth's Best Steak Sandwiches | Family Friendly Pub Picks". So Perth . 18 August 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Finalists announced in WA's Best Steak Sandwich competition 2025". The Shout . 27 May 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  3. 1 2 Vinci, Caitlin (24 June 2025). "The $31 steak sandwich crowned best in Country WA". PerthNow . Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  4. 1 2 Mutton, Troy (19 August 2025). "Talking steak sandwiches with a man who's had a few". Perth is OK! . Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  5. 1 2 Hastie, Hamish (2 May 2018). "WA's best steak sandwich: Risk it to get the brisket". WAtoday . Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  6. Martin, Amy (22 September 2025). "The verdict is in: where to find the best parmi, burger, and steak sandwich". Canberra Times . Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  7. Broadfield, Rob (2 June 2011). "New Aussie serves a dinkum sanger". The West Australian . Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  8. "The steak sandwich mistake Qantas won't make again". NewsComAu . Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  9. 1 2 Michaels, Jake (22 January 2025). "The $27 sandwich taking the Australian Open by storm". ESPN . Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  10. "There's a $27 Sandwich Taking Over the Australian Open". BetUS . 22 January 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  11. Naylor, Tony (1 February 2019). "How to eat: a steak sandwich". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  12. Ronald R. Butters, "Trademark linguistics: Trademarks: Language that one owns," in Malcolm Coulthard, Alison Johnson, The Routledge Handbook of Forensic Linguistics, p. 360
  13. George Motz, Hamburger America, 2011 ISBN   0762440708, p. 17, 41
  14. Thomas Riggs, Encyclopedia of major marketing campaigns, 2:456