Wafu Hambagu Steak

Ingredients

• 300 g minced beef
• 200 g minced pork
• 1 onion, very finely chopped
• 20 g butter
• 50 g panko breadcrumbs
• 70 ml whole milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp sake
• 200 g daikon radish, finely grated
• 5 tbsp ponzu
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 100 ml dashi
• 1 tsp potato starch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
• 4 shiso leaves, shredded
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

Before you cook

• Chop the onion as finely as you can.
• Soak the panko in the milk in a large bowl for 5 minutes, until it swells.
• Grate the daikon and drain it in a sieve without pressing.
• Shred the shiso and slice the spring onions.
• Mix the potato starch with the cold water in a small cup.

Steps

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
2. Cook the onion for 8 minutes, until soft and pale gold with no bite left.
3. Spread the onion on a plate and leave it until it is completely cold to the touch.
4. Add the beef, pork, egg, salt, white pepper and nutmeg to the bowl of soaked panko.
5. Add the cooled onion and knead the mixture with your hand for 2 minutes, until it turns pale and tacky and holds together when you pull it.
6. Divide the mixture into four and shape each into an oval patty about 2.5 cm thick.
7. Throw each patty from hand to hand a dozen times to knock out the air pockets that would split it in the pan.
8. Press a shallow dip into the centre of each patty with your thumb.
9. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
10. Lay the patties in the pan, dip side up, and fry for 3 minutes until deeply browned underneath.
11. Flip the patties and fry for 2 minutes on the second side.
12. Pour in the sake, cover the pan and turn the heat to low.
13. Steam the patties for 8 minutes, until a skewer pushed into the centre releases clear juices.
14. Lift the patties onto warm plates and leave them to rest.
15. Add the ponzu, soy sauce, mirin and dashi to the pan juices and bring to a simmer.
16. Stir in the potato starch slurry and cook for 30 seconds, until the sauce just thickens.
17. Spoon the sauce over and around each patty.
18. Top each one with a mound of grated daikon, the shredded shiso and the spring onions.