Original: English

Japanese Hamburg Steak (Hambagu)

This is Chef Kasahara's exquisite Japanese-style hamburg steak. By carefully kneading sautéed onions and cold ground meat, and then steaming it with a lid on, you'll achieve perfect results every time. Served with a special "All Tablespoon Sauce" and simple side dishes, it's the ultimate dish that pairs wonderfully with both rice and drinks.

Steps

Finely chop 1/2 onion.
🕒 02:00
Separate 1/2 head of broccoli into florets. Peel the tough skin from the stems and cut into bite-sized pieces.
🕒 02:44
Remove the stems from 5 cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.
🕒 03:20
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan. Add 1/2 finely chopped onion, 2 pinches of salt, and 1 tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine). Sauté until softened and slightly colored. (Secret Tip!) Adding mirin helps the onions color faster and enhances their sweetness.
🕒 03:46
Spread out the sautéed onions and let them cool completely. (Secret Tip!) Cooling them thoroughly before mixing with the cold ground meat prevents the patties from cracking.
🕒 05:00
Briefly blanch 1/2 head of broccoli in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Drain in a colander, sprinkle with 1 pinch of salt, and let cool.
🕒 05:26
In a chilled bowl, add 300g ground mixed meat and 1/2 tsp salt. Knead thoroughly until the mixture becomes white and sticky. (Secret Tip!) Kneading the cold ground meat with salt first develops a sticky texture for a smoother mouthfeel. Work quickly to avoid warming the meat.
🕒 06:06
Add the cooled sautéed onions, a pinch of pepper [A], 1/2 beaten egg [A], 2 tsp ketchup [A], 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs [A], and 2 tbsp milk [A] to the kneaded meat mixture. Knead quickly again until it becomes sticky.
🕒 07:12
Divide the hamburg steak mixture into 4 portions and roughly shape them.
🕒 08:13
Lightly oil a frying pan. Moisten your hands with some of the oil, then shape the mixture into round patties. Roll them smoothly without cracking, then flatten them by tapping to form disc shapes and place them in the frying pan.
🕒 08:48
Lightly press down the center of each formed hamburg steak.
🕒 10:12
Heat the frying pan over medium heat, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. (Secret Tip!) Cooking with the lid on from the start allows the inside to cook through without over-browning the exterior.
🕒 10:32
Flip the patties when browned, cover again, and cook for another 2 minutes.
🕒 11:32
Add 3 tbsp water and 3 tbsp cooking sake (rice wine). Cover and steam on low heat for 5 minutes.
🕒 12:38
Turn off the heat and let it rest with the lid on for 1-2 minutes. (Secret Tip!) Resting allows the meat juices to settle, resulting in a juicier steak.
🕒 13:25
Remove the hamburg steaks from the pan.
🕒 15:20
In the same frying pan with the remaining meat juices, add 1 tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine) [B], 1 tbsp cooking sake (rice wine) [B], 1 tbsp soy sauce [B], 1 tbsp ketchup [B], 1 tbsp grainy mustard [B], and 1 tbsp honey [B]. Stir while heating and simmer until slightly thickened.
🕒 15:33
In a bowl, combine the cooled broccoli, halved cherry tomatoes, 2 tbsp mayonnaise [C], and a pinch of bonito flakes (katsuobushi) [C]. Toss lightly.
🕒 16:49
Plate the hamburg steaks, generously pour the sauce over them, and serve with the dressed broccoli and cherry tomatoes, and 100g grated daikon radish. Enjoy!
🕒 17:32