Karl’s Teriyaki Hamburger

My wife and I have been watching the Netflix series Samurai Gourmet—a magical reality ode to the joys of food. When I asked what I should make for dinner Jan said, “Teriyaki Hamburger!” Looking to the series, I made something like what was served to our hero—a retired “salaryman” who is following his ronin spirit guide on a journey of discovery. I made a salad to go with this.

Note: Eilene said you could not have a Japanese burger like this without an egg on top. Jan disagreed.

Karl’s Teriyaki Hamburger

Ingredients

1 cup white rice

Teriyaki sauce

¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup mirin
¼ cup saki
2 Tbs. fresh finger, grated
1 Tbs. corn starch, mixed with 2 Tbs. saki

1 lb. hamburger
3 green onions, sliced on a steep diagonal

4 eggs

Directions

1. Put the rice in a rice cooker and set it to steam the rice.

2. Put the first four sauce ingredients into a small pot and set it over a low heat.

3. When the sauce is simmering, add enough of the cornstarch mixture to thicken it to your desired consistency.

Tip: If the sauce is too thin it will just run off the burger. Too thick and it will sit in unappealing globs on top.

4. Form the meat into quarter pound patties.

Tip: Press a dimple in the middle of each patty. This prevents the burger from forming a dome while it is cooking. As the meat expands while it is frying the dimple fills in and leaves you with a flat burger.

5. Lightly oil a skillet and lay the burgers—with the dimples up—over a medium high heat.

6. Place the green onions in an open corner of the skillet.

7. After  one minute, stir the green onions.

8. After another 1-2 minutes, transfer the onions to a plate.

9. Leave the burgers undisturbed for 4 minutes, until well browned on the first side.

10. Flip the burger and spread a bit of the teriyaki sauce over the tops of the meat.

11. Leave the burgers undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, until well browned on the on the second side.

12. Lightly oil a separate pan, with a tight lid, and place it over a medium heat.

13. Add the eggs, so that they do not run together.

14. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cover the pan.

Tip: Adding the water steams the eggs, so that the whites cook quickly without turning “rubbery.”

15. Steam cook the eggs for 3-4 minutes.

16. Flip the burger and sauce the second side.

17. Cook for one minute more and transfer to individual plates.

18. Spoon a bit more teriyaki sauce over the burgers and top each burger with one of the eggs.

19. Garnish with the grilled green onions and serve with rice.

Tip: You may top the rice some of the teriyaki sauce or with some furikake.