hungry nomad living

Served sans buns and doused in a “demi-glace,” Japanese hamburgers are a tastier and juicier rendition of the infamous Salisbury steak. Cafe Mami in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is where I had my first taste, and I’m addicted to their Wafu Hamburg Steak, which is marinated in a reduction of soy sauce, citrus, and ginger. I haven’t found a recipe that tastes quite like it, but luckily, the one I have turned out to be a hit with my friends and family

If you like teriyaki sauce, you’ll enjoy this glaze of soy sauce, sake, and sugar. For the Cafe Mami experience from your own home, eat the steak with a bowl of steamed white rice, miso soup, and side salad. Then finish the meal with a green tea milkshake.

Here’s my recipe slide on how you can make the hamburger with a Japanese twist:

JAPANESE HAMBURGER
Serves 4 hungry friends

Ingredients:

• 2.5 tablespoons Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon Milk (water or soy milk)
• 1/2 medium Onion, minced
• 2 teaspoons Ginger, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 Egg
• 0.7 lbs. Ground Beef (the fattier, the juicier)
• Flour for coating the patties
• 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter

Sauce Mixture:

• 2.5 Tablespoons Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Sake (or rice wine)
• 4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 4 Tablespoons Water

Garnish:

• Lettuce, salad greens, or shiso leaves
• Daikon, grated and drained (optional)

Method:

1. Mix in a small bowl the ingredients for the sauce mixture: sugar, sake (or rice wine), soy sauce and water.
2. Sprinkle about a cup of flour on a large plate.
3. Soak the panko breadcrumbs in milk (water or soy milk).
4. Mix well by hand in a large bowl, the ground beef, minced onion, minced ginger, egg, soaked panko breadcrumbs, and salt. If you like nutmeg, add a pinch (1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon).
5. Divide into 4 patties and coat with flour.
6. Heat the butter and oil in a pan over high heat. Add and brown the meat for roughly 1.5 minutes on each side. Cover and cook over low heat for another 3 - 4 minutes.
7. Discard the oil. Pour the sauce mixture into the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for a few minutes over low-medium heat and scoop sauce over the hamburgers.
8. Make a bed of lettuce or salad greens for the hamburgers and top with grated daikon (optional).
9. Pour remaining sauce over each hamburger and serve with steamed white rice or plain potatoes (boiled, roasted or nuked).