Make Ultimate Japanese Hamburger Steak ( Hambagu ) ! Like a Bomb of Meat Juices!

Konnichiwa! Welcome to Japanese Cooking Ichie. Today, I will introduce how to make hamburger steaks. Japanese-style hamburger steaks are very juicy, almost like a meat juice bomb. At the end, I will also share how to make delicious sauces and some Japanese-style variations, so please be sure to watch. Let's get started. This time, I will introduce the recipe for two servings. Please check the description box for the list of ingredients. First, let's chop 100 grams of onion. If you are using a large onion, please use half of it. First, cut the onion in half and remove the core. After removing the core, finely dice the onion. The key point here is to chop the onion very finely so it blends easily into the meat later. As shown here, the usual way of chopping results in larger pieces. You should chop even more finely than that. Once the pieces are this small, you are good to go. To achieve an even finer mince, start by slicing the onion thinly as shown. After slicing, lay the pieces flat and then slice them again crosswise to create an even finer mince. It may be a bit tedious, but since this is the most important part of the recipe, be sure to chop the onions very finely. Once you have finished chopping all the onions into a fine dice, transfer them to a large bowl. Next, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and microwave at 500 watts for 2 minutes. By microwave heating the onions, you can bring out their natural sweetness resulting in tastier hamburger steaks. After heating for 2 minutes, remove the bowl and take off the plastic wrap. As you can see, they are a bit watery, right? Therefore, remove the wrap and heat at 500 watts for 1 minute, then continue heating further to evaporate any excess moisture. Once the 1 minute heating is complete, take it out. The moisture has evaporated nicely, which is great. Later, set aside 1 tablespoon of chopped onions on a separate plate to use for the sauce. Next, to make the hamburgers fluffy and juicy, mix the breadcrumbs and milk together. Mixing them beforehand helps the milk absorb the heat from the onions, which prevents the fat from melting and leaking out when combined with the ground meat. Once you've mixed them together to some extent, add half of an egg's worth of beaten egg and mix thoroughly again until everything is well combined. The reason for adding the egg later is to prevent the egg from coagulating due to the heat of the onions. Once it looks like this, you're all set. Next, add 300 grams of ground meat and the seasonings to the mixture and fold them together. Please prepare ground meat with about 20% fat content by mixing 70% beef and 30% pork. The key point here is to keep the ground meat refrigerated until just before mixing. Using cold meat is very important to keep the hamburgers juicy, as it prevents the fat from melting and leaking out during cooking. Add these seasonings to the mixture. One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, two pinches of salt, two pinches of nutmeg. Once all the seasonings are added, first mix everything together by gently pressing and kneading as if you're shaping with your hands. Once it's somewhat combined, switch to spreading your hands wide and mixing in a circular motion to ensure thorough blending. Be sure to work quickly to avoid heating the ground meat, so mix briskly and carefully. When it is mixed thoroughly like this, you're all set. Now, let's proceed to cook the hamburgers. Once you place a large frying pan on the stove, prepare some oil to coat your hands. Applying oil to your hands prevents the meat from sticking and makes it easier to shape the patties. Since this recipe makes two hamburgers, roughly take half of the prepared ground meat from the bowl and roll it into a ball. Once the shape is roughly round, gently tap the hamburger with both hands alternately to press out any air inside. Excess air can cause the meat to puff up, leading to deformation or cracking during cooking, so tap about 20 to 30 times. When most of the air is squeezed out, place the patty on the frying pan. Adjust the thickness to about 2 cm and then it's ready to cook. Once both patties are shaped, proceed to cook them. Start by turning on the heat to medium-high and sear the outside. Since you brush oil on the surface when shaping the ground meat, there is no need to add oil to the frying pan. Cook for about 1 minute, then move the pan slightly to prevent uneven cooking and ensure the patties brown evenly. Cook for a total of 3 minutes, ensuring the patties develop a nice sear. Avoid touching or moving the hamburger to prevent juices from escaping. After 3 minutes, when the edges are browned as shown, flip the patties over to cook the other side. Gently flip the patties using a spatula, taking care to maintain their shape and using the side of the pan for reference. They look beautifully browned. The other side is also browning nicely. The juicy meat looks very delicious. Now, cook the other side for about 1 minute. After 1 minute, add 3 tablespoons of water, cover with a lid and steam bake on low heat for about 5 minutes. Since the patties are thick, cook them slowly to ensure the inside is thoroughly cooked. Cooking on high heat will cause the juices to escape, so avoid it at all costs. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat and let the residual heat finish cooking for about 1 minute. After that, remove the lid and check the doneness. Gently press the patty with your fingertip. In it should feel slightly resilient like this, which means it's perfectly cooked and that's it, your hamburger is ready. Now, transfer the hamburger to a plate and check the meat juices. When you cut with a knife, the juices are just about to ooze out. Next, let's hold off on eating for a moment and make the sauce. We'll use the same pan in which we cooked the hamburger, which has all the delicious flavors left from the meat. Now, let's add the seasonings. Add the following seasonings. 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, 2 tablespoons of cooking sake, 10 grams of butter. Once all the ingredients are added, heat the mixture over medium heat. Gently stir and simmer slowly to prevent burning. When it starts to boil, add the finely chopped onions and simmer until the sauce thickens. When the sauce reaches this level of thickness, it's ready. Pour this special sauce generously over the hamburgers and your dish is complete. It looks very delicious. Now, let's enjoy the meal. When you cut into it, plenty of juices will flow out. Not only is it incredibly juicy, but it also has a fluffy texture and is so delicious. The savory flavor of the meat pairs perfectly with the sauce, making it so tempting that you could eat multiple servings. Finally, I will introduce a Japanese-style variation. Prepare ponzu, grated daikon radish, and shiso leaves. Cut the hamburger into bite-size pieces. Place grated daikon on top of shiso leaves, drizzle with ponzu, and it's ready. Unlike the previous sauce, this is very light and refreshing. Delicious in its own way. Feel free to try your favorite way of eating. I hope you are enjoying today's video. If you enjoyed the recipe, please let me know. If you liked this video, please subscribe to the channel and give it a thumbs up. We also have social media like Instagram, so please check them out in the description. Thank you for watching and see you in the next video.