A juicy hamburger steak that melts in your mouth. It’s savory, tender, filled with a melty cheese filling, and paired with a red wine reduction steak sauce. “Wait, wasn’t this dish in Cooking Mama?” Oh yes it was.
Japanese hamburger steak, or hambagu (ハンバーグ), is a popular dish served in Japanese western restaurants, and also enjoyed at home, since it’s super easy to make with accessible ingredients.
A blend of ground beef and ground pork is used because the ground pork helps makes it extra juicy. However, you can also use 100% beef if you can’t consume pork. The other ingredients you need to make it are sautéed onions and mushrooms, panko breadcrumbs, and an egg.
I like adding a whole cheese cube inside to bring the dish to another level. When you slice it open, the melty cheese looks and tastes sooo good.
Tips for making the best Japanese hamburger steak:
- Sauté the onions and mushrooms slowly and then let it cool completely before mixing it with the raw meat. Sautéing the onions and mushrooms will add a nice sweetness to the steak.
- Rest the patties in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, to help keep its shape and to prevent the fat from melting quickly when it cooks. You can also rest in the fridge overnight, or even freeze them for up to one month. Just remember to defrost first (for frozen ones) and take them out from the fridge right before cooking.
- Make the red wine sauce using the same pan that you used to cook the steaks, so you will get all the leftover rich greases and juices from the patty which will make your sauce extra delicious.
This dish pairs perfectly with rice, or even pasta/sautéed vegetables. You can even serve this on a bun.
If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
Japanese Cheesy Hamburger Steak
Ingredients
Hamburger Patties
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion (minced)
- 4 button mushrooms (minced)
- Salt & Pepper
- 200 g ground beef
- 100 g ground pork
- ½ tsp salt
- Few cracks of freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 large egg
- 30 g mozzarella cheese (cut into cubes weighing 10g each)
- ¼ cup red wine
Sauce
- ¼ cup red wine
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Toppings
- Dried parsley
- Smoked paprika
Instructions
Hamburger Patties
- Heat up 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a pan. Add in the onion and mushrooms. Season with a little salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is translucent. Place in a bowl and let cool completely.
- In a large bowl, combine together the ground beef, ground pork, salt, black pepper, panko breadcrumbs, milk, egg, and the onion mushroom mixture.
- Form into even patties. Slightly flatten the patty and place a cheese cube inside. Close up the patty by pushing the meat to the top to seal it up. Make sure the cheese is not visible or else it will leak out when cooking. Then, gently shape it to a circular form.
- Rest the patties in the fridge for 30 minutes to help keep its shape and to prevent the fat from melting quickly when it cooks.
- In a pan over medium-high heat, add in the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once the oil is heated, cook the patties for 3-4 minutes on each side. Then add in the red wine and cover to let it steam for 6-8 minutes. Remove from the pan.
Sauce
- Using the same pan over medium heat, add in the red wine and bring to a simmer. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, sugar and mix together. Finish it off by adding butter for a glossy finish, and mix until the butter has melted. Your sauce is ready!
Assembling
- Plate the patties, and pour the sauce over it. Finish off with some dried parsley and paprika. Slice, and enjoy!
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