Besides the traditional Japanese cuisine known as washoku, we also enjoy various western-influenced food called yoshoku. It is a big part of Japanese food culture that has influenced the way we eat and cook at home. Today, I’m sharing one of my son’s favorites, Japanese Stewed Hamburger Steak or Nikomi Hambagu (煮込みハンバーグ).
What is Nikomi Hambagu?
First, let’s talk about hambāgu (ハンバーグ) or Japanese Hamburger Steak (ハンバーグステーキ). It’s a popular dish enjoyed at home and at yoshoku (Japanese-style western food) restaurants. Hambagu is a steak made from ground meat—typically both beef and pork—and served with rice rather than buns. The hambagu steak comes with a delicious gravy-like sauce made with ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Nikomi Hambagu (煮込みハンバーグ) is the hambāgu that’s simmered (in Japanese, the word is nikomu) in the sauce. After searing the patties, they are cooked in the savory wine-reduction sauce until the patties are fully cooked through and absorb all the flavors from the sauce. Restaurants usually make demi-glace sauce from scratch, using vegetables and flavorful stock. However, at home, we would make a quick sauce with common condiments like ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and wine.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
So delicious and comforting, perfect weekend recipe! A big step up in terms of flavors and cooking technique. You can make nikomi hambagu ahead of time (unlike regular hambagu).
The Ingredients for Nikomi Hambagu
A combination of ground beef and ground pork (Aibiki Niku – learn more in Tips)* Onion Egg Panko Milk Seasonings: nutmeg, salt, pepper, butter Shimeji mushrooms (or other mushrooms) Hambagu Sauce: Chicken stock, wine, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, butter, flour, bay leaf Cheese (optional)
How to Make Japanese Stewed Hamburger Steak
5 Cooking Tips to Make the Best Hambagu
Tip 1: Use a beef and pork combo.
Hambāgu in Japan is typically made from both ground beef and ground pork, and this mixed ground meat is called aibiki niku (合いびき肉). The common ratio of aibiki niku is 7:3. Originally, beef was expensive so pork was mixed in to increase the bulk. However, over time, we learned that aibiki niku is scientifically superior to making hambāgu and other recipes like Menchi Katsu, Spaghetti Meat Sauce, and Curry Doria (Rice Gratin). The fat contained in pork has a low melting point, just about the body temperature of a human being. On the other hand, the melting point of beef fat is higher than that, By combining the beef and pork together, the fat melts in the mouth even when the meat cools down slightly, making it delicious to eat. Supermarkets in Japan sell a convenient package of both ground beef and ground pork so that we don’t have to buy the meat separately. For this hambagu recipe, you can decide the beef/pork ratio of either 2:1 (8 oz/4 oz) or 3:1 (9 oz/3 oz).
Tip 2: Knead the meat mixture well.
Knead the mixture with your hand until it’s pale and sticky.
Tip 3: Playing catch with the meat mixture
Play catch, tossing meat mixture from your left hand to your right hand. Do this a couple of times in order to release the air inside. If you skip it, the meat patties will crack while cooking.
Tip 4: Chill the patties in the fridge
Let the meat patties cool in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to solidify fats on the surface and take them out right before cooking.
Tip 5: Make an indentation on the patties
Indent the center of each patty with 2-3 fingertips. While cooking, the air inside the patties heats up and expands, causing the center of the patties to swell. The indentation will disappear as the meat swells. If you don’t make the indentation, the patties will swell and you may end up pressing down the swelled patties, losing delicious juice coming out from the inside. The meat patties could possibly expand and crack.
How to Make the Delicious Hambagu Sauce
The sauce the patties are stewed in is a demi-glace sauce. Demi-glace is a rich brown sauce in French cuisine made with beef bone, onions, celery, tomatoes, carrots, red wine, and brown roux. In Japan, we use demi-glace sauce for many Western-style yoshoku dishes such as Hayashi Rice, beef stew, and Omurice. The sauce does take a long time to make from scratch, but in Japan, you can easily buy canned demi-glace sauce from regular grocery stores. For this recipe, I make the sauce using commonly available condiments and it turns out just as good considering it’s a shortcut version. When making the sauce, there are some important cooking tips you should follow:
Sauté the onion until tender and translucent. The onions get sweeter as you cook. Take advantage of the natural sweetness of the ingredients. Cook the flour on a gentle heat. No one likes tasting raw flour. Take your time to cook the flour on low heat. Gradually add chicken stock while you mix and incorporate the flour mixture into the stock. It’s very important to slowly add the stock for a lump-free sauce. Let the alcohol from the wine evaporate if you don’t like the alcohol taste or if you serve it for children. Most of the alcohol will be evaporated while cooking. Taste the sauce to adjust the flavor. Remember, every ketchup and chicken stock brand varies in taste. Some are sweeter or saltier than others. So you have to taste your own sauce and adjust to your liking.
What to Serve with Stewed Hamburger Steak
Crispy Baked Potato Wedges Blanched Broccoli Sautéed Corn Kernels or Carrots with Butter Corn Potage Caesar Salad Heirloom Tomato Salad
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