Name: Hambagu (Japanese Salisbury Steak) with Wafu Sauce
Cuisine: 和食
Ingredients: 400g ground meat blend (beef and pork); 1/2 onion (approx. 150g); 10g butter (for cooking onion); 2 pinches salt (approx. 2-3g); 4-5 shakes white pepper; A pinch of nutmeg; 1 whole egg (for binder); 20g dry panko breadcrumbs (for binder); 2 tbsp milk (approx. 30ml) (for binder); 1 tbsp sake (for steaming); 2 tbsp water (for steaming); [Wafu Sauce] 1.5 tbsp sake (approx. 22.5ml); [Wafu Sauce] 1.5 tbsp mirin (approx. 22.5ml); [Wafu Sauce] 1.5 tbsp soy sauce (approx. 22.5ml); [Wafu Sauce] 1.5 tbsp ketchup (approx. 15g); [Wafu Sauce] 15g butter; [Wafu Sauce] 1 tbsp honey (approx. 10g); [Wafu Sauce] 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard (approx. 10g); 1 tbsp vegetable oil (for frying)

About "Hambagu (Japanese Salisbury Steak) with Wafu Sauce"

This is an authentic Japanese Hambagu (Salisbury steak) recipe by a professional chef using 400g of ground meat blend (beef and pork). The key to its plump, juicy texture is keeping the meat and utensils cold to prevent the fat from melting, followed by steam-cooking. It is finished with an exquisite wafu (Japanese-style) sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, ketchup, butter, and whole-grain mustard. The onions are microwaved to bring out their natural sweetness, and a panade of panko, egg, and milk locks in the juices. It's a perfect dish for dinner or as a savory snack to pair with drinks.

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Tips for Making "Hambagu (Japanese Salisbury Steak) with Wafu Sauce"

Prep
- Keep the ground meat, bowl, and utensils thoroughly chilled until right before kneading. Temperature control is crucial, as hand warmth melts the fat and causes dryness.
Prep
- Microwave the onion uncovered at 600W for 1.5 minutes, stir, and microwave for another minute. This mimics pan-frying by removing moisture and maximizing sweetness.
Prep
- Mix the binder (egg, panko, milk) first so the panko absorbs the liquid. Combine with the cooled onion, then chill thoroughly in the fridge before mixing with the meat.
Kneading & Shaping
- Knead the meat quickly using your fingertips rather than your palms. If the bowl starts to look white, the fat is beginning to melt, so work fast.
Kneading & Shaping
- Lightly oil your hands and slap the divided meat portions back and forth to release trapped air. Trapped air causes the patties to crack and lose juices during cooking.
Cooking
- Add 1 tbsp of oil to a cold pan, arrange the patties, and then turn the heat to medium-high. Sear both sides thoroughly first to lock in the juices.
Heat Control
- After searing, cover and steam on medium-low for 3 minutes. Flip, add 1 tbsp sake and 2 tbsp water, cover, and steam for 4-5 minutes. Flip again and steam covered for 2 minutes. Done when juices run clear.
Sauce
- Skim off excess fat with a spoon after removing the patties. Keep the browned bits stuck to the pan to enrich the sauce, scraping them up as you cook.
Sauce
- Boil sake, mirin, soy sauce, ketchup, and honey to cook off the alcohol. Turn off the heat, let it cool slightly, then add butter to emulsify. Adding butter while boiling can cause separation.
Sauce
- Stir in the whole-grain mustard at the very end to add a pleasant tang and rich depth, perfectly balancing the wafu sauce.

Ingredients for "Hambagu (Japanese Salisbury Steak) with Wafu Sauce"

19 items

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400gground meat blend (beef and pork)
1/2onion (approx. 150g)
10gbutter (for cooking onion)
2pinches salt (approx. 2-3g)
4-5shakes white pepper
Apinch of nutmeg
1whole egg (for binder)
20gdry panko breadcrumbs (for binder)
2tbsp milk (approx. 30ml) (for binder)
1tbsp sake (for steaming)
2tbsp water (for steaming)
[WafuSauce] 1.5 tbsp sake (approx. 22.5ml)
[WafuSauce] 1.5 tbsp mirin (approx. 22.5ml)
[WafuSauce] 1.5 tbsp soy sauce (approx. 22.5ml)
[WafuSauce] 1.5 tbsp ketchup (approx. 15g)
[WafuSauce] 15g butter
[WafuSauce] 1 tbsp honey (approx. 10g)
[WafuSauce] 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard (approx. 10g)
1tbsp vegetable oil (for frying)

How to Make "Hambagu (Japanese Salisbury Steak) with Wafu Sauce"

1
[Prep the Onion] Finely mince 1/2 onion (approx. 150g), leaving the root intact to make chopping easier.
2
Place the minced onion in a microwave-safe bowl and add 10g of butter. Microwave uncovered at 600W for 1.5 minutes.
3
Remove from the microwave, stir well from the bottom with a spatula to coat the onion in butter, spread it out in the bowl, and microwave for another 1 minute at 600W. Take it out, stir thoroughly, and let it cool to room temperature.
4
[Make the Binder] Crack 1 egg into a bowl and beat it thoroughly until the whites are fully incorporated. Add 20g of panko and 2 tbsp of milk, mixing well so the panko fully absorbs the liquid.
5
Add the binder mixture to the cooled onion bowl and mix until uniform. Spread it thinly along the sides of the bowl and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
6
[Knead & Shape the Meat] Keep the 400g of ground meat blend in the fridge until right before kneading. Transfer the meat to a chilled bowl and add 2 pinches of salt, 4-5 shakes of white pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
7
Using your fingertips rather than your palms, knead quickly until the mixture becomes sticky. If the bowl starts to look white, it's a sign the fat is melting, so work as fast as possible.
8
Once sticky, add the chilled onion and binder mixture, and quickly mix them together.
9
Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Lightly oil your hands and slap each portion back and forth between your palms to release any trapped air, then shape into round patties.
10
[Cooking] Add 1 tbsp of oil to a cold frying pan, arrange the shaped patties flat (without indenting the center), and turn the heat to medium-high.
11
Once a nice sear forms on the bottom, flip the patties and sear the other side in the same way.
12
Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and steam-cook for 3 minutes.
13
Remove the lid, flip the patties, and add 1 tbsp of sake and 2 tbsp of water. Cover again and steam-cook for 4-5 minutes.
14
Remove the lid, flip once more, cover, and steam for another 2 minutes. Insert a bamboo skewer; if the juices run clear, they are fully cooked.
15
Remove the patties from the pan and let them rest.
16
[Wafu Sauce] If there is excess fat in the pan, skim it off with a spoon, but keep the browned bits (umami) stuck to the bottom of the pan.
17
Add 1.5 tbsp sake, 1.5 tbsp mirin, 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp ketchup, and 1 tbsp honey to the pan, and heat over medium-high. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release the browned bits, bringing it to a full boil to cook off the alcohol.
18
Turn off the heat. Once the temperature drops slightly, add 15g of butter and stir to emulsify using the residual heat. Finally, add 1 tbsp of whole-grain mustard and mix well.
19
[Serving] Plate with your favorite side dishes, place the patties on top, and generously drizzle with the warm wafu sauce to finish.

Detailed Commentary on "Hambagu (Japanese Salisbury Steak) with Wafu Sauce"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

Prep the Onion (Microwave for Sweetness)

Finely mince 1/2 onion (approx. 150g). Leaving the root intact while making cuts helps keep the onion together for clean, easy chopping. Place the minced onion in a microwave-safe bowl and add 10g of unsalted butter. Microwave uncovered at 600W for 1.5 minutes. Remove, stir thoroughly from the bottom with a spatula to coat the onion in butter, spread it out in the bowl, and microwave for another minute at 600W. This method removes excess moisture and coaxes out the onion's natural sweetness, just like slow-sautéing in a pan. Once heated, stir well and let it cool to room temperature.

The Panade & Chilling (The Secret to Juiciness)

Next, prepare the panade (binder) that keeps the patties plump and juicy. Crack 1 egg into a bowl and beat it thoroughly until the whites are fully incorporated. Add 20g of panko (about 6 tbsp) and 2 tbsp of milk (approx. 30ml), mixing well so the breadcrumbs fully absorb the liquid. Once the panko is hydrated, add it to the bowl with the cooled onion and mix until uniform. Spread the mixture thinly along the sides of the bowl and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator (or freezer, as long as it doesn't freeze). Keeping this mixture ice-cold is crucial to prevent the meat's fat from melting when combined later.

Kneading & Shaping (Temperature Control is Key)

Keep the 400g of ground meat blend well-chilled in the refrigerator until the very moment you knead it. Transfer the meat to a cold bowl (chilling it over ice water is highly effective) and add 2 pinches of salt (approx. 2-3g), 4-5 shakes of white pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Speed is absolutely critical here. If the fat melts from the warmth of your hands, the cooked patties will turn out dry. Use your fingertips instead of your palms to knead the meat rapidly until it becomes sticky. Watch for the bowl turning slightly white—this is a sign the fat is starting to melt. Once sticky, add the chilled onion and binder mixture, and quickly combine. Divide into 4 portions, lightly oil your hands, and slap the meat back and forth between your palms to release any trapped air. Shape them carefully into round patties, as any remaining air can cause them to crack and lose their juices during cooking.

Cooking the Patties (Steam for Plumpness)

Place the shaped patties into a cold frying pan. Add 1 tbsp of oil and arrange the patties flat, without indenting the centers, then turn the heat to medium-high. First, sear the surface thoroughly to create a barrier that locks in the juices. Once beautifully browned, flip and sear the other side. With both sides seared, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and steam-cook for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, flip the patties, and add 1 tbsp of sake and 2 tbsp of water. Cover again and steam-cook for 4-5 minutes. Finally, remove the lid, flip one last time, cover, and steam for another 2 minutes. Insert a bamboo skewer; if the juices run clear, they are done. Turn off the heat, transfer the patties to a plate, and let them rest.

The Ultimate Wafu Sauce (Capture the Umami)

The pan used to cook the patties is packed with rich meat flavor. However, if there is too much excess fat, skim it off with a spoon to prevent the sauce from becoming greasy. Keep the browned bits stuck to the pan, as they are pure umami. Add 1.5 tbsp of sake, 1.5 tbsp of mirin, 1.5 tbsp of soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp of ketchup, and 1 tbsp of honey, then heat over medium-high. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release the browned bits while bringing the mixture to a full boil to evaporate the alcohol. Turn off the heat, let it cool slightly, then add 15g of butter, stirring to emulsify using the residual heat. Finally, stir in 1 tbsp of whole-grain mustard to add a pleasant tang and depth, completing an exquisite wafu sauce you'll want to make again and again.

Tasting & Summary (Bursting with Juices)

Plate your patties alongside shredded cabbage, cucumber, tomato, or potato salad, then generously drizzle the freshly made, warm wafu sauce over them. The moment you cut into the patty, a flood of rich juices gushes out and mingles with the sauce—an incredibly appetizing sight. One bite delivers the juicy, savory flavor of the meat, the sweetness of the onions, and the tangy, rich depth of the mustard-infused wafu sauce. It is absolutely delicious! Perfect as a main dish for dinner or a savory snack with drinks, this crowd-pleasing recipe is a keeper for kids and adults alike.

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