Cooking with Chefology x McCormick: Japanese Hamburg

After the Chefology x McCormick Bloggers Event, we each took home our very own Chefology pan along with a range of McCormick Herbs and Spices for us to have some fun at home. And of course it didn’t take much convincing for me to switch over to the Chefology pan. It’s a 24cm frying pan which is great for small household and it definitely came at the right time as we have recently moved and needed an upgrade of the kitchen.

So the first recipe I’ve rustled up was Japanese Hamburg Steaks with a bit of a twist, utilizing the McCormick products that I’ve got.

McCormick Black Peppercorn Grinder, Sea Salt Grinder, Grill Mates Vintage Smokehouse BBQ Sauce, Oregano Grinder and Ground Chili.

The Japanese Hamburg, or Hambagu is basically a hamburger patty served without burger buns. There are many variations; the sauce, the toppings and the sides can vary as it’s very much a home-cooked dish. The patties almost always has a mix of pork and beef (for the extra moist factor), and generally the ratio is 3:7. In Japanese supermarkets you can find that particular mixture even, called Aibiki Niku. As for sauce, it can be soy based with some grated daikon (oroshi), teriyaki sauce or a demi-glaze (often served in a restaurant). My version would be a bit of a mixture here. Let’s get to it!

Japanese Hamburg Steaks (Serves 3)

Patties
200g Minced Beef
100g Minced Pork (I know it’s slightly off the ratio but close enough lah)
1 Small Onion, finely diced
4-5 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Egg
1/4 cup Panko
2 tablespoons of McCormick Vintage Smokehouse BBQ Sauce
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
Ground Chili to taste

Toppings and Sauce
1 stalk of Negi (Small Leek), sliced
2 tablespoons of McCormick Vintage Smokehouse BBQ sauce
Grated Daikon Radish

Mix all the ingredients for the patties together and work it together by hand until mixture is gluey and sticky. Divide mixture into 3 and toss each patty between hands to knock the air out and then slowly form into oval shape. Once done, made an indentation in the middle with your fingers (the patty will expand during cooking so the indentation will disappear) and set aside until needed.

Heat up the pan and add a bit of olive oil (don’t need too much for chefology pan… guarantee it won’t stick). Add the patties one by one into the pan and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the surface is nicely browned.

Then flip over carefully, add a generous splash of water and turn the heat to medium low then cover with lid. Cook like this for 4-5 minutes to ensure the inside is cooked through. Uncover the lid to let the liquid evaporate, then transfer the patties to individual serving plates.

We are not done yet here of course! Add another splash of water to deglaze the pan (or wine, if you prefer) then add in the sliced leek, and more of those bbq sauce. Simmer til thicken, then pour it out into a small bowl to serve.

Top the patties with grated daikon and some raw leek, and serve with your favourite side dish. We opted for some braised Red Cabbage this time.

The BBQ sauce here is quite rich and smoky, which is why I chose to pair it with Negioroshi (Leek and Daikon Radish) to lighten up the dish. This meal is low carb and full of flavours and not to mention very nutritious. Love how the Chefology pan keep my patties nice and juicy!