Make-ahead Frozen Japanese Hamburger Patties with Special Mushroom Onion Sauce!
In Japan, hamburgers are not eaten sandwiched between buns like American hamburgers. Instead, they are typically served with a Japanese-style sauce or a combination of ketchup and tonkatsu sauce, alongside rice. It’s called “Hamburg”. The harmonious blend of flavorful sauce and the quality of the hamburger meat, when enjoyed with rice, creates a delightful taste and texture.
I often prepare a batch of hamburgers and keep them frozen for easy and convenient meals. Furthermore, while shaping the hamburgers, I occasionally shape some of them into meatballs, which I later use in spaghetti dishes.
During my childhood, my mother used to mix plenty of vegetables into hamburgers to encourage me to eat them, as I was not fond of vegetables. Ironically, I find myself doing the same for my son now. While my son is more inclined to enjoy vegetables than I was at his age, I still discreetly grate carrots into the hamburgers to ensure he gets his share of vegetables. Japanese hamburgers are a popular choice among children as well.
To add a touch of sweetness and eliminate any meat odors from the hamburger meat, I use Hoisin sauce. Additionally, adding grated garlic or other seasonings can enhance the flavor according to personal preference. Traditionally, Japanese hamburgers add an egg which helps to connect the meat and make it soft/fluffy texture but I skip an egg when I don’t have any and it’s still delicious.
Let’s et started!
Ingredients for Sauce:
- 15g Butter
- Pinch Salt and Pepper
- 1/2 Onion
-
Muashrooms as much
as you like - 1 tbs Sugar
- 1 tbs Mirin
- 1 tbs Sake
- 2 tbs Soy Sauce
Ingredients for Hamburger
- 1.34 LB/610g Ground Beef
- 15g Butter
- 1/2 Onion
- Pinch Salt and Pepper
- 2 tbs Hoisin Sauce
- 1/3 cup Panko
- 2 tbs Sugar
- 1 tsp Chicken Bullion
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
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Instructions for making make-ahead hamburgers：
Finely chop an onion and sauté it in butter until it becomes translucent. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
Place ground beef in a bowl and add the grated carrot and the sautéed onion from step 1. Mix everything together. (If you have an egg, you can add it as well.)
Once all the ingredients are evenly mixed, shape the mixture into hamburger patties. Make a slight indentation in the center of each patty (as they tend to puff up in the middle while cooking). You can also shape them into round meatballs if you prefer.
Place the formed hamburger patties on a flat, sheet-like surface lined with parchment paper. Cover them with a plastic bag or wrap them in plastic wrap, then place them in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours or until they are frozen solid.
Once the hamburger steaks are frozen, remove them from the sheet and place them in a bag. Return them to the freezer for storage.
These instructions should help you prepare make-ahead hamburgers.
Instructions for cooking a hamburger steak.
Heat olive oil in a frying pan and cook the hamburger steak over medium to high heat, searing it to achieve a nice brown crust.
Once a sear has formed on one side, flip the steak, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover with a lid with a small amount of water. Let it cook for approximately 5-7 minutes.
Remove the lid, and using a spatula or similar utensil, gently press down on the hamburger steak. If no red juices are coming out, it indicates that the steak is cooked through. If the other side needs more browning, you can cook it uncovered for a bit longer until it achieves a golden color.
Without washing the pan, heat it again and add butter, sliced mushrooms, and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and add mirin, sake, sugar, soy sauce, and water in that order. Simmer until the onions become tender and the sauce thickens. Pour this sauce over the hamburger steak to complete the dish.
These instructions should guide you in preparing a delicious hamburger steak.
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