Japanese Hamburger Steak

Whenever I make Japanese Hamburger Steak for dinner my friends are always intrigued.  I know what they’re thinking, Japanese hamburger steak, what is that?  Doesn’t sound very Japanese does it?  I know I know, most people associate hamburgers with the typical American hamburger on a bun but Japanese hamburger steak is a little different.  First of all it’s not on a bun and second it’s usually served with rice on the side and probably closer to what we call meatloaf.

In Japan, Hamburger Steak is a very popular dinnertime dish, a favorite bento ingredient and is loved by both kids and adults.  You can go into any Yoshoku (Japanese style Western food) restaurant and it will always be on the menu.  There are so many variations of Hamburger Steak in Japan with sauces like teriyaki or demi-glacé, and toppings, such as a fried egg, sautéed mushrooms or grated daikon and shiso.  You can get very creative and everyone has their favorite way to enjoy it.

I make a few different versions of Hamburger Steak at home but I tend to always go back to this recipe.  I’ve been playing around with different sauces lately and this one seems to be my hubby’s favorite and I can make it with ingredients I usually have on hand.  I start with a red wine reduction then I add soy sauce, ketchup and a little butter and it can be made in about fifteen minutes, not complicated at all.  If you’re short on time you can just drizzle a little soy sauce, store bought teriyaki sauce or put some ketchup on the side (a kid favorite) and call it a day.  Any way you serve it, I’m sure it will become a dinnertime favorite.

Ingredients:  (Makes 2 large or 4 small patties)

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon canola/vegetable for frying

Hamburger Steak Sauce:

1 cup good red wine
1/4 cup ketchup
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter

To make Hamburger Steaks, in a small bowl combine panko and milk, mix to soften, set aside until needed.  In a frying pan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted.  Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 5-7 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, panko mixture, cooled onion, egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Using your hands, mix to distribute all ingredients evenly.  Divide the meat mixture into two large or four small equal portions.  Form each portion into a patty about 1 1/2 inches thick.

In a frying pan large enough to accommodate the patties without crowding, heat the oil over medium high heat.  When the oil is hot, carefully add the patties and cook until a nice brown crust forms on the bottom, 4-5 minutes.  Turn the patties over and cook until a brown crust forms on the second side, 4-5 minutes longer.  Remove patties and keep warm in oven while you make the sauce.

To make the Sauce, in the same frying pan over medium high heat, (drain frying pan of excess oil if needed) add red wine and deglaze the pan scraping up the brown bits at the bottom.  Cook until the wine is reduced and thickens slightly.  Add ketchup, soy sauce, butter, salt and pepper and stir well until combined.  Drizzle sauce over Hamburger Steak and serve.