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Latest Recipe

Aunt Ryoko’s Japanese Hamburger Steak (a.k.a. Hambagu)

December 11, 2022 By Benjamin and Koshiki

Japanese hamburger

Japanese hamburger

My late father’s sister, Ryoko, was a busy person. She owned and managed a family restaurant. As such, her day would start in the afternoon, when she would shop for nightly specials and a family dinner. She would also find time to keep the books (with an abacus!), and cook for dinner, all before heading to work in the evening. So, no wonder she was very efficient in how and what to cook every day. She had a collection of reliable reciepes that could be made in advance and still taste great.  

This Japanese hamburger is an adaptation of Aunt Ryoko’s slow-cooked ground beef steaks in stock, soy sauce, and ketchup, which now is our family favorite. Enjoy it with a side of salad or steamed vegetables, rice, and miso soup.

Thank you, Aunt Ryoko-san.

Japanese hamburger

Print

Aunt Ryoko’s Japanese Hamburger Steak (a.k.a. Hambagu)

Japanese-style hamburger steak cooked in stock, soy sauce, and ketchup.
Course entree, Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword beef, dinner idea, ground beef, hamburger, hamburger steak, Japanese dinner
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Cost $15.00

Ingredients

For Hamburger Steak:

  • 1 pound ground beef from my uncle’s Rockin’ Farm in MN
  • 1/2 medium onion minced
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoon milk or cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • pepper
  • 1-2 teaspoon vegetable oil for frying

For the sauce:

  • 1 1/2 -2 cups beef stock low sodium
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worchester sauce optional
  • 1/2 red, green, or yellow pepper julienned

Instructions

  • Gather the ingredients.
    Japanese hamburger ingredients
  • Make the hamburger steak by mixing the ingredients. Mix well with your hands and divide the meat into eight portions.
    Japanese Hamburger Meat Mixing
  • Heat a frying pan large enough to hold all the meat. Add 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil when the pan is hot, then place hamburger steak. They can be snuggly as they shrink in portion size as a cook. Work in batches if the pan is not large enough to hold all the hamburgers.   
    Japanese hamburger shaping
  • On medium-high, brown each side well, then transfer to a plate.
    Japanese hamburger browning
  • If there is excess oil, use a paper towel to remove the extra oil from the pan. Make sure to keep all the meat juice. Bring the frying pan back to the stove, add half of the beef stock, and deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom. Once the pan is deglazed, add the remaining stock, turn the heat low, and add ketchup, soy sauce, and Worcester sauce. Mix well.
  • Return the hamburger to the frying pan with any juice from the plate. Turn the heat low and partially cover the pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes: turn the meat once or twice to prevent dryness. Add peppers and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
    Japanese hamburger cooking
  • Turn the heat off and let the hamburger rest in the sauce before serving. 
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A food blog brought to by Koshiki Yonemura. After almost two decades of running a restaurant in St. Paul with my husband, I now operate a boutique travel company, teach cooking classes and share recipes on this blog. Please leave a comment or send a message. I'd love to hear from you!

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