Wafu Hambagu is a scrumptious Japanese-style hamburger eaten without a bun. The meat patty is prepared until moist and flavorful, and garnished with daikon, shiso leaves and enjoyed with a ponzu based sauce. -Just One Cookbook
If you are not familiar with the Japanese term “Hambagu” (ハンバーグ), it basically a thick ground meat patty that’s cooked in a frying pan, instead of grilled, and always served with some kind of sauce and without a bun.
From https://www.justonecookbook.com/wafu-hambagu-japanese-hamburger-steak/
Video and Recipe by Kikkoman USA
WAFU HAMBAGU BY KIKKOMAN USA
INGREDIENTS
Yield: Makes 4 servings Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes
½ onion
1 tablespoon plus 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
½ pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork
1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
¼ cup Kikkoman® Panko Bread Crumbs
2 tablespoon milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Sauce
½ cup Kikkoman® Ponzu
1 tablespoonKikkoman® Less Sodium Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Toppings
3-inch daikon
1 green onion
DIRECTIONS
Mince the onion. Heat the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Sauté the onion until golden brown and transfer to a bowl to let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the onion, ground beef, ground pork, garlic, Kikkoman® Panko Bread Crumbs, milk, egg, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Knead the mixture until sticky and pale in color.
Divide the mixture into 4portions. Put a little bit of the vegetable oil on your hands to avoid the meat sticking to your hands. Toss each portion of the mixture between hands about 10 times to release the air pockets inside the mixture. This will prevent the patties from breaking while cooking.
Make oval shape patties with round surface rather than flat. Cover the patties with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes so that the meat combines together.
To make the sauce, add Kikkoman® Ponzu, Kikkoman®Less Sodium Soy Sauce, and granulated sugar in a bowl. Mix all together and set aside.
For toppings, peel daikon and grate finely. Squeeze the liquid out of grated daikon and set aside. Finely chop the green onion and set aside.
Heat1½ tablespoonvegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and place the patties gently.
Indent the center of each patty with fingers as it will rise and expand with heat. Cook the patties for about 3-4 minuteson one side and then flip.
Cover to cook on medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the meat inside is cooked through.The cooking oil in the pan will be part of the sauce, so if you have a lot of excess oil in the pan, you can wipe it off with apaper towel.
Add the sauce to the pan and increase the heat to medium heat. Pour the sauce over the meat with a spoon while cooking for a minute or so.
Transfer the patties to serving plates. Reduce the sauce a little bit while skimming off the fat. Pour the sauce into a small bowl or saucer. Top thepatties with grated daikon and green onion. Drizzle the sauce on top when you enjoy.