Wafu Hambagu (Japanese Hamburger Steak)

1. Gather all the ingredients. If doubling the recipe, please cook one batch at a time in the pan.
2. Mince ½ onion.
3. Heat 1½ Tbsp neutral oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion until golden brown. Transfer to a large bowl and let it cool.
4. Mix ¼ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and 2 Tbsp milk together.
5. When the onion is cool, add the panko mixture, ½ lb ground beef, ½ lb ground pork, 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell), 1 clove garlic (minced or crushed), ¼ tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Mix all the ingredients together. Knead the mixture until sticky and pale in color.

To Shape the Patties

1. Divide the mixture into 4 portions. Put a little bit of oil on your hands to keep the meat from sticking to them.
2. Toss each portion of the mixture between your hands about 10 times to release the air inside the mixture (this will prevent the patties from breaking while cooking).
3. Make oval-shaped patties. Make the top of the patties more round compared to typical hamburger patties that are flat on top. Cover the patties with plastic wrap and keep them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cooking so that the meat combines together.

To Prepare the Toppings and Sauce

1. Meanwhile, peel 3 inches daikon radish and grate it finely. Squeeze most of the liquid out of the grated daikon (but leave some for moisture).
2. Cut off the stem of 2 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) and roll them up. Cut into julienned pieces. If you use scallion instead, slice it thinly.
3. Now, make the sauce. (Keep the batches of sauce separate if you‘re doubling the recipe.) In a small bowl, combine ½ cup ponzu, ¼ tsp yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste), and 1 tsp sugar (per batch). Whisk it all together until the sugar is dissolved.

To Cook the Wafu Hambagu

1. Heat 1½ Tbsp neutral oil in a frying pan over medium heat. (Cook one batch at a time if you‘re doubling the recipe.) When it‘s hot, gently place the patties in the pan. Indent the center of each patty with your fingers because they will rise and expand when heated. Cook the patties for about 3–4 minutes and do not flip until they are nicely brown.
2. Flip the patties and cover to cook on medium-low heat for 4–5 minutes, or until the meat inside is cooked through.
3. Add the sauce to the pan and increase the heat to medium high. Scoop the sauce over the meat with a spoon while cooking for about 2 minutes.
4. Move the patties to serving plates. Reduce the sauce a little bit while skimming off the fat (to make a clear sauce). Pour the sauce into a small serving bowl.

To Serve

1. Serve the Wafu Hambagu with grated daikon on top and garnish with shiso (or scallion). Pour the extra sauce on top at the table.