The Japanese technically call this a ‘hamburg steak,’ rather than ‘hamburger,’ a word which exclusively means the thing we eat in a bun with ketchup.  In any case, I call it a hamburger, and it’s a very nice way of cooking something familiar with a bit of a twist.  If I were in Japan, I’d use yuzu (a Japanese citrus) instead of lime, but… I’m not in Japan right now.

Serves 4.

For the Burgers:

1 small onion, finely diced
3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs), or fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 lb ground beef
1/4 tsp lime zest
1 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp ketchup
2 tbsp butter
2-4 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying

For the Sauce:

6 tbsp soy sauce
6 tbsp sake (Japanese cooking wine)
4 tbsp mirin
4 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp shichimi-togarashi*
1 tbsp butter, for finishing

Combine the panko, milk, and whole clove of garlic in a small bowl and set aside  for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan and saute the onions until soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Do not let the onions brown.  Set aside and let cool.

Place the ground meat in a large mixing bowl.  Remove the garlic clove and squeeze the excess milk out of the bread crumbs, which should almost be like a paste by now, and add them to the meat.  Add the cooled onions, lime zest, salt, egg, and ketchup and mix everything lightly with your hands until the mixture comes together.  Divide the mixture into four portions, and tossing each portion between your hands, form hamburger patties.  Tossing them back and forth and letting them go THWACK! against your hands will make your burgers fluffy.

Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce.

Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil begins to shimmer.  (Do not crowd the pan; if you cannot fit all the patties in, cook them two at a time, adding more oil as necessary.)  Add patties and cook until the bottoms are nice and browned, about 2-3 minutes.  Flip patties and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, until the bottom is browned and delicious.

With the pot lid in one hand, carefully pour in 1/2 cup of very hot tap water, so that the water reaches about 1/4th of the patties’ height (you may need more or less water).  Clamp the lid on the pan, turn the heat down to just over medium, and steam the burgers until most of the water has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove lid, and cook until the water is all evaporated. Remove burgers and set aside.

Drain any excess oil from the pan, and return it to high heat.  Add the sauce and cook over high heat, swirling the pan, until it reduces to a loose syrup.  Add the patties, swirling the sauce around them to cover the bottom, and then flip patties and repeat.  Remove patties to individual plates.  Cook the sauce a little longer until it thickens just a bit more, and then remove from heat.  Swirl in 1 tbsp of butter to finish, and drizzle sauce over hamburgers.  Sprinkle a little extra shichimi on the side of the plates for those who want it and garnish with lime.

Serve with white rice, miso soup, and Japanese pickles.

*Shichimi-togarashi (or shichimi pepper, or just shichimi) is a Japanese spice blend.  It can be found in any Asian grocer.