What Makes Salisbury Steak Different From A Bun-Less Hamburger?

Just like how there's more to a burger than its bun, there's more to a Salisbury steak than its lack thereof. For one, although the hamburger's purported invention is credited to a few different folks, the Salisbury steak is named for its one and only originator: Dr. James Henry Salisbury.

During the American Civil War, Salisbury was an early proponent of food as medicine, particularly with regard to tummy troubles. In contrast to conventional contemporary sentiments, Salisbury believed that vegetables were a detriment to gut health, and instead championed red meat as an antidote to common ailments. He also eschewed the biscuits permeating the soldiers' diets, making him a king of early anti-carb crusaders.

As a Union Army physician, he was even positioned to change the way the troops' ate. So was born the Salisbury steak. Even back then, there was more separating the doctor's creation from the also novel hamburger than just a bun. A Salisbury steak called for broiling the beef patties, flavoring them with onions and with seasonings like salt and pepper, and, crucially, smothering them in brown gravy. They were ideally paired with black coffee. And yes, it all sounds a little like the kind of carnivore diet that might enjoy a moment of virality today. In a time before ideas circulated the globe at lightning speed, all Salisbury had to disseminate his notions was the glacial pace of book publishing. R.I.P. Dr. Salisbury. You would have loved TikTok.

The Salisbury steak has come a long way since its ur-Atkins, battletime beginnings. So has the comparatively quaint hamburger, for that matter. Just like its relationship to that other comfort staple, meatloaf, Salisbury steak remains distinct from burgers, even as they share some similarities.

Both burgers and Salisbury steak begin with a base of ground beef — not to be confused with literal hamburger meat and its own fascinating history. But then they begin to diverge. A binding agent like breadcrumbs or even crushed crackers are needed to keep a Salisbury steak from crumbling, whereas a burger will contain no such filler. A Salisbury steak is also formed into an oblong shape, while a burger is, of course, made into the familiar patty recognizable all over the world. And a Salisbury steak would not be a Salisbury steak without its signature gravy. A burger's toppings can be much more versatile, as imaginative as its maker can envision, or kept simple with your standard lettuce, tomato and onions. Just don't tell Sailsbury's ghost about all those veggies.