Japanese Hamburg Meal Prep

Hamburg without the er

Japanese Hamburg Meal Prep

For this week’s meal prep, we’re making Japanese hamburg. No bun, no bacon, no shake—just the classic Japanese hamburg, minus the "er." This dish combines ground beef and pork for a juicy, flavorful patty, thanks to panko breadcrumbs soaked in milk. It’s cooked well-done and pairs perfectly with steamed broccoli and a creamy Korean potato salad (recipe linked here). Let’s dive in!

Recipe

Ingredients

Hamburg

• 2 Tbsp butter (divided)

• ½ yellow onion, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs

• ½ cup milk

• 8 oz ground pork

• 8 oz ground beef

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 1 egg

• 1 Tbsp oil

Sauce

• ¼ cup sake

• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

• ½ cup ketchup

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Directions

Prepare the Hamburg

1. Sauté Aromatics: In a medium pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp butter. Add diced onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside. Allow the onions to cool before adding to the patty mixture.

   

2. Soak Panko: In a small bowl, mix panko breadcrumbs with milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb the liquid.

3. Mix the Patty: In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, salt, soy sauce, egg, sautéed onions, and the panko mixture. Use your hands to mix thoroughly, pressing and squeezing to blend everything well.

4. Shape Patties: Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Shape each into a patty and press a small indentation into the center to prevent puffing during cooking.

5. Cook Patties: Heat 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, add the patties. Cook for about 12 minutes, flipping once, until the juices run clear and the patties are fully cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.

   

Make the Sauce

1. Deglaze: Keep the skillet on medium heat and pour in the sake, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.

2. Combine and Simmer: Add Worcestershire sauce and ketchup, stirring constantly for about 1 minute until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.

3. Finish: Pour the sauce over the hamburg patties and enjoy!

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Meal Prep and Assembly

1. Divide Rice: Scoop steamed rice into four meal prep containers.

2. Add Hamburg: Place one patty in each container.

3. Korean Potato Salad: Divide the potato salad evenly between the containers (recipe linked here).

4. Steamed Broccoli: Add steamed broccoli as a side.

   

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Storage and Heating

• Storage: These meal preps will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days.

• Reheating: Microwave in two 1-minute increments. Heating the potato salad is optional; I like to warm it for the last 15 seconds for a slightly warm potato salad.