Japanese Hamburger Steak (Hambagu)

Japanese Hamburger Steak (Hambagu)

from justonecookbook.com
50 min

Served with a red wine reduction sauce, this Japanese Hamburger Steak (Hambagu) is big on flavors. The meat is juicy and melts in your mouth. It‘s perfect to make in a hot frying pan either in the kitchen or on the grill!

Ingredients

  • ½ onion ((5 oz, 142 g))
  • 1 Tbsp neutral oil
  • ¾ lb ground beef and pork combination
  • ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ⅓ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 2 Tbsp milk ( if you don’t have milk, combine 2 tsp sour cream, 1 tsp beef/chicken broth, and 1 tsp butter in a boll. Then mix it together for your milk substitute.)
  • 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
  • 1 Tbsp neutral oil
  • 3 Tbsp red wine
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 Tbsp ketchup ((to taste))
  • 3 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce ((or make Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce))
  • 3 Tbsp red wine
  • 3 Tbsp water

Directions

  1. 1

    Please note that this recipe requires 30 minutes of inactive resting time (patties in the refrigerator) in addition to the total active cooking time.

  2. 2

    Mince ½ onion finely (we call this cutting technique mijingiri in Japanese). Lay the cut onion flat side down on the cutting board. With the knife tip pointing toward the root end, make ⅛-inch vertical slices to within ½ inch of the root end. With the knife edge toward the root end, make ⅛-inch horizontal slices, again keeping the root intact.

  3. 3

    Heat a large pan over medium heat. (Cook one batch at a time if you‘re doubling the recipe.) When the pan is hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Place the patties gently into the pan. Indent the center of each patty with two fingers because the centers will rise with the heat.

  4. 4

    To the same frying pan, add the ingredients for the sauce (for one batch): 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, 3 Tbsp ketchup, and 3 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce. Tip: Since some ketchup is sweeter than others, adjust the amount to taste. For the tonkatsu sauce, you can substitute Worcestershire sauce and sugar in a pinch.

  5. 5

    Pour the remaining sauce into a small bowl or jar and bring it to the table for serving. We typically serve Steamed Rice, Homemade Miso Soup, Crispy Baked Potato Wedges, sauteed carrots, and steamed broccoli or a salad with this meal. Hambagu also goes well with Japanese Potato Salad and Corn Potage (Japanese Corn Soup).

  6. 6

    Transfer the leftover hamburger steaks to an airtight container and let them cool completely. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and the freezer for up to a month.