Two substantial 150g patties with a simple Japanese-style texture and a glossy sweet-savory onion sauce. The sauce is deliberately kept slightly loose so the hamburg reheats moist rather than dry.
Ingredients
300g Ground meat
1 egg
2 osaji Panko bread crumbs
2 osaji Milk
Salt
Black pepper
1 kosaji Salad oil
3 osaji Huli-Huli sauce
2 osaji Water
Steps
1. Prep the onion. Finely chop about 60g for the patty mixture and thinly slice the remaining roughly 40g for the sauce.
2. Soak the panko. Mix 3 osaji panko with 2 osaji milk and let stand for 1–2 minutes.
3. Mix and shape. Combine mince, chopped onion, egg, soaked panko, salt, and black pepper. Mix just until cohesive and slightly sticky. Divide into 2 patties, about 150g each and roughly 2cm thick. Press a shallow indentation into the center.
4. Brown the patties. Heat 1 kosaji oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the first side 3–4 minutes until genuinely browned.
5. Steam-cook through. Turn the patties, reduce to medium-low, add 2 osaji water, cover, and cook about 5–6 minutes. The patties should feel firm but still spring slightly when pressed. If using a thermometer, make sure the center is fully cooked.
6. Make the Huli-Huli onion sauce. Transfer patties briefly to a plate. Add the sliced onion to the pan and cook 2–3 minutes until beginning to soften. Add 3 osaji Huli-Huli sauce and 2 osaji water; bubble gently for about 30 seconds.
7. Glaze lightly. Return patties to the pan and simmer 1–2 minutes, spooning onion and sauce over them. Stop while a little loose sauce remains. If it turns sticky, add 1 osaji water.
Tamagawa Salad 