Wafū Hambāgu (和風ハンバーグ, Japanese hamburger steak)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy skillet with a tight-fitting lid
• •Oroshigane (Japanese grater), or the fine side of a box grater
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Soften the onion

   Warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced onion and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring often, until it turns translucent and sweet but not brown. Cool it completely. Raw onion leaves harsh little sparks in the meat and throws off water as it cooks; cooled, softened onion seasons the patty from inside without loosening it.

2. 2

   Soak the panko

   In a small bowl, stir the panko and milk together and let them sit for 5 minutes. The crumbs should look damp all the way through, not floating in milk. This panade holds moisture inside the meat, which is why Japanese hambāgu stays tender instead of eating like a tight meatball.

3. 3

   Knead the meat

   Put the cold aibiki niku in a large bowl with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using. Mix with your hand until the meat turns tacky and the bowl looks lightly smeared, about 1 minute. Add the egg, sake, soaked panko, and cooled onion, then mix just until even. Salt helps the meat bind, and cold fat stays where you want it, inside the patty.

   This is one place kneading is useful. You want a cohesive steak, not a loose burger that crumbles the moment it meets the pan.
4. 4

   Shape the patties

   Lightly oil your hands and divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Toss each portion gently from one palm to the other a few times to push out trapped air, then shape it into an oval about 2cm thick. Press a shallow hollow into the center. Air pockets split the patty, and the hollow keeps the middle from swelling as the meat tightens.

5. 5

   Prepare the daikon

   Grate the daikon on an oroshigane, or use the fine side of a box grater. Set it in a small sieve for 5 minutes, then press it only lightly. Don't squeeze it dry. The juice carries the daikon's clean bite, and that cool sharpness is what cuts through the richness of the meat.

6. 6

   Sear the hambāgu

   Wipe out the skillet and warm the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Lay in the patties with space between them and sear for 3 to 4 minutes, until the underside is well browned. Flip them carefully. The browning gives depth, but trying to cook them through by searing alone would dry the edges before the center is safe.

7. 7

   Steam to finish

   Pour the 1/4 cup sake or water around the patties, not over them. Cover the skillet, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the center reaches 160F/71C. The covered pan finishes the ground meat gently and keeps the surface you browned intact. Rest the patties for 3 minutes so the juices settle.

8. 8

   Sauce and serve

   Take the patties out of the skillet. Add the ponzu to the pan juices and warm it for just 20 to 30 seconds, swirling the skillet. Don't reduce it hard, or the citrus turns dull and the salt takes over. Set one shiso leaf on each patty, mound the grated daikon on top, and spoon the warm ponzu around and over the steak. Serve with short-grain rice.

Chef Tips

• •Buy aibiki niku the day you cook if you can. Ask for ground meat with visible fat and a clean smell, not the leanest package in the case. Lean meat sounds virtuous and eats dry. The fat is doing honest work here.
• •If you use all beef, choose 80/20 ground beef and handle it the same way. It will be firmer and less sweet than the beef-pork mixture, so don't pretend it is the same thing. It is a workable stand-in.
• •Daikon has a map. The shoulder near the leaves is sweeter, the tip is sharper. For this topping, use the upper or middle section, especially in cold months when daikon is at its prime.
• •A good bottled ponzu is a sensible weeknight ally. Choose one that tastes of real citrus and soy, not only salt. If yours is flat, stir together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons citrus juice, 2 tablespoons dashi, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon mirin.

Advance Preparation

• •The onion can be cooked up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Use it cold in the meat mixture.
• •The patties can be shaped up to 8 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Keep them cold until the skillet is ready.
• •Grate the daikon close to serving time. After 15 to 20 minutes it loses its clean edge and starts to smell tired, which is not the fault of the radish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 410g)