How to Make a Steak Sandwich

There is definitely more than one way to make a steak sandwich, and if you are at all worth your weight in meat, you've never made the same steak sandwich twice.

What follows is a guide to making several types of steak sandwiches- from the ever-beloved Philly Cheese Steak to simpler steak and cheese sandwiches to more witty iterations with garlic mayo.

I won't go into detail with each suggestion- the key to making a really good steak sandwich involves working with the ingredients you have on hand and using only the best, freshest, and most premium cuts of meat and slices of bread. It should go without saying that your condiments are only of the highest caliber.

I hope you find this guide to be inspiring and that you start creating creative variations on the form yourself. If you come up with a combination you find to be particularly spectacular, share it with us in the comments below.

Any steak sandwich is going to involve the following steps:

1. The preparation of the beef (be it roasting, grilling, pressure cooking, frying, or stewing)
2. The preparation of additional cooked features (e.g. sauteed onions, mushrooms, eggs), often with spices
3. The selection of bread and application of initial basic condiments (e.g. mayo, mustards, special sauces)
4. Placement of meat on the bread with additional cooked features and fresh features
5. (Often) final toasting in an oven or on a grill

When trying out new steak sandwich variation (for it is always most interesting to improvise rather than follow a recipe), consider the following tips:

• Cross cultural boundaries - introduce delicious Chinese leftovers to the sandwich in an interesting way; try out new spices and sauces; utilize a foreign cooking method for additional condiments or the meat itself
• Work with varying cuts of beef - don't get stuck in a rut
• Use leftovers - working with the remaining bits of meat and other dishes can contribute to some wonderful flavor combinations
• Get Cheesy - work with different types and textures of cheese (we tend to get too accustomed to a handfull of cheeses only) as this is one of the most popular condiments. Goat cheese can provide a surprisingly refreshing zing to a beef sandwich layered in with spinach and sauteed sweet onions

Below are some beef sandwich videos that might give you additional ideas.

Sandwiches are often creations of conveneince. Such should not be the case with the Philly Cheese Steak.

While grills are by no means mandatory in the preparation of a Philly Cheese Steak, they should be. High quality beef sliced really thin and grilled with melted American cheese (in the name of tradition) leads to the equivalent of patriotic heaven in your mouth.

Let this example be an inspiration to you when it comes to cooking methods. Beef sandwiches and grills are your friend.

Roast beef sandwiches are delicious, and with the use of a slow cooker, the amount of effort you have to expend is minimal.

In the video example to the right, the cook combines bread with sliced roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy, essentially creating an entire dinner on a sandwich bun. This is another very American sort of beef sandwich to go for, but when it comes to beef, it's a-OK to love the USA.

Roast beef sandwiches don't all have to be served with potatoes and gravy or American cheese. Delicious and super simple sandwiches often benefit from outside cultural differences.

In this case, another potroast and crock pot are utilized, but additional spices, sweet onions, and wine are utilized, which results in more complex flavorings and excellent dipping sauce.

Another method to take note of here is the final toasting in the oven. If you're not outside and melting cheese on the grill, you owe it to yourself to at least heat it in the oven... or under a creme brulee torch, if you're fire-happy.