Japanese Hambagu with Creamy Mushroom and Sesame-Miso Green Beans...

Japanese food western-style is a captivating cuisine tradition in Japan. Called Yoshoku, Japanese and Western ingredients and flavours are fused together to create delicious mouthwatering dishes. One of my blog's all-time top-viewed recipe is Salisbury Steaks with Mushrooms and my Teriyaki Hamburg Steak recipe is also very popular. Giving these meat patties a twist in a creamy sauce with my love for mushrooms, soy and mirin, the resulting flavour is heavenly earthy with an Asian umami dimension.

Japanese Hambagu with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Makes 10-12 patties

1 lb. lean ground pork
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup Japanese panko breadcrumbs
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1-1/2 Tbsp. finely grated ginger and its juice
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup Japanese or light soy sauce, divided
1/4 cup mirin, divided
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. butter
3 cups shiitake mushrooms or oyster mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced
1 carton shimeji mushrooms, pulled apart
1 package enoki mushrooms, ends trimmed, pulled apart into small clumps
1 tsp. chicken bouillon seasoning
1 cup table cream (18%)

Combine the pork, beef, onion, breadcrumbs, garlic, ginger and its juice, egg, 4 Tbsp. soy sauce and 1 Tbsp. of the mirin. Shape into ten to twelve patties, about 1-inch thick, place on a tray in a single layer, cover and refrigerate for two hours to let the flavours meld and the patties to firm.

Wear a disposable glove to make it mess-free to mix and mold.

Heat the oils in a large skillet or fry pan over medium-high heat and cook the patties in two batches for two minutes on both sides until browned and then reduce the heat slightly to cook for a further three minutes or so on both sides until cooked through. Remove onto a platter, cover and set aside.

Add the butter to the pan, then the shiitake/oyster mushrooms, shimeji and a pinch of salt and cook for about four minutes or until softened. Add the enoki, the remaining 2 Tbsp. soy sauce and 3 Tbsp. mirin, chicken seasoning and cream; bring to a boil. Cook for two minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. You can add the patties to the mushroom sauce and cook for a minute more or serve the sauce over the patties on serving plates.

While the patties were resting in the fridge, I made up a simple side of Sesame-Miso green beans. Tahini-sesame paste is blended with miso and makes a tasty dressing for crisp green beans, and perfect to go with this hambagu dish.

Sesame-Miso Green Beans
Makes 6 to 8 servings

250 g green beans, trimmed and cut in half
1/4 cup tahini sesame paste (stir well to recombine the separated oil and paste)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. red or white miso
1 Tbsp. mirin
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

Blanch the green beans in a pot of boiling water for two minutes. Drain and plunge into ice cold water until cool; drain well. Combine the tahini, sugar, miso and mirin and stir well with a fork or small whisk. Taste to adjust seasoning to your taste. Thin out with a bit more mirin or water if too thick. Toss the beans with the dressing in a bowl, and transfer onto serving plate sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Ahhh... A yoshoku meal is served. To continue the western-fused theme, instead of eating with steamed rice, I opted for orzo pasta sautéed in a little butter. Also a side of healthy Kinpara Gobo-- a popular Japanese simmered burdock and carrots dish to whet the appetite.

Soft tender meat patties with a delicious savoury creamy mushrooms sauce! Wow-wee!

Give my other versions of meat patties a try: Salisbury Steaks with Mushrooms and Teriyaki Hamburg Steak.

Salisbury Steaks with Mushrooms

Teriyaki Hamburg Steak