Wafu Hambagu with Oroshi
Japan takes on the hamburger with this juicy Wafu Hambagu topped with grated daikon and a sweet, spicy ponzu sauce.
Ingredients
For the hambagu
- ½ onion chopped
- 1½ tbsp butter
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- ¼ cup panko
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1½ tbsp neutral oil such as canola
For the ponzu sauce
- ½ cup ponzu
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp yuzu kosho
For the oroshi
- 4 inch piece of daikon skin peeled with a vegetable peeler
Instructions
Prepare the onions and panko
- Heat the butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook them for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Once finished, set them aside and let them cool to room temperature.
- Soak the panko bread crumbs in milk for a few minutes.
Make the hambagu steaks
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients for the hambagu (the ground beef, pork, cooked onions, panko in milk, egg, sesame oil, worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, black pepper, and salt.
- Mix and knead the ingredients very thoroughly until fully combined.
- Separate the mixture into four equal-sized portions.
- To form the hamburger steaks, first oil your hands with about a half tablespoon of oil so that the mixture doesn’t stick to your hands while forming the steaks. Take one portion of the meat in one of your hands. Now gently, but firmly, toss it to your other hand. And then toss it back to your first hand. And now toss it again. Toss the meat from hand-to-hand about 15-20 times until you form an oval-shaped steak. Repeat for the other three steaks. This process removes air bubbles from the meat to prevent the steaks from cracking into pieces while cooking.
- Place the hambagu steaks on a parchment paper lined plate and let them rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Make the oroshi
- Meanwhile, as the hambagu steaks are resting in the fridge, make the oroshi. Grate the daikon with a fine cheese grater. In Japan they use special graters to get the perfect texture. I didn’t have one, so I just used a normal cheese grater and it turned out great.
- Once grated, squeeze out the liquid from the daikon and set the oroshi aside. You can use your hands to squeeze out the liquid or a cheesecloth.
Make the ponzu sauce
- Combine the ponzu, sugar, and yuzu kosho in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly until the sugar and yuzu kosho dissolve.
Cook the hambagu
- Once the hamburger steaks are done resting, heat the oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan.
- Once the oil is hot, gently place the hamburger steaks in the pan. Use your thumb to make an indentation of about ½ inch deep in the middle of each steak.
- Cook for four minutes until browned. Do not move or disturb the steaks so that they form a nice crust.
- Flip the hamburger steaks, cover the pan with a lid, and cook for five minutes.
- Now remove the cover and add the ponzu sauce directly on top of the steaks. Cook for two more minutes, spooning the sauce over the steaks while they cook.
- When fully cooked, remove the hamburger steaks from the pan.
- Continue to cook the sauce for 1-2 minutes to slightly reduce it. Remove from the heat once reduced.
Serve
- Place the wafu hambagu on a serving plate and top each hambagu with 2-3 tablespoons of the daikon oroshi. Pour the ponzu sauce over the hamburger steaks.
- Serve with a side of green salad and roasted vegetables. Use the ponzu sauce for dressing for the salad.