Photo/Illutration Hamburger steak bento (Provided by Chikako Tada)

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Let the bento cool well before putting the lid on. (Photo by Airi Matsuo)

Congratulations to all who have taken another step forward this spring. My twin nephews, who call me “Chika-chan,” started college in April.

My sister was relieved when their high school days were over because she had been making lunch boxes for them out of a sense of obligation.

For those who may start making bento this spring, just remember two things: Avoid raw foods, cook well. Let it all cool before closing the lid.

Be careful, the color brown can quickly take over your lunch box. Brown is justice, my child says. But no, it doesn’t look good. The hamburger steak, everyone’s favorite, is also 100 percent brown.

In 1980, when I was about 10 years old, I was fascinated by a hamburger steak dish that I saw on a cooking show on the Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) network. I remember a chef wearing a white hat and piping mashed potatoes like cream to accompany the hamburger patties he made.

I often put a fried egg on top of the patty and squeeze some ketchup under it. I prefer the egg sunny-side up, soft-cooked just on one side, but for a lunch box to take on the go, it is safer to make it over-hard so the yolk is well cooked.

Just having a fried egg in a bento is enough to make us feel energetic.

The hamburger steak is a popular meat dish that many believe originated in Hamburg, Germany. However, the version that developed in Japan has the hamburger steak shaped like patties with the taste and texture of meatloaf. My recipe uses “panko” breadcrumbs and onions, and it’s very juicy.

An equal amount of milk and panko breadcrumbs gives a soft, fluffy texture. Coating with panko breadcrumbs will trap the meat juices.

Ingredients for 2 servings
150 grams ground beef and pork / 1/2 onion / 3 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs / 3 Tbsp milk / 1/2 tsp salt / Dash of nutmeg / 1 Tbsp ketchup / 1 Tbsp cooking oil

Directions
1. Coarsely chop the onion.
2. Place ground beef and pork, salt, chopped onion, 3 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs, and milk in a bowl.
3. Mix in ketchup. Add nutmeg.
4. Knead until the mixture is smooth and sticky.
5. Split the mixture in half. Toss in both hands to release air and form patties. Sprinkle the surface with 1 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs.
6. Make a slight dent in the center to make it easier to cook through.
7. Heat a frying pan and add oil. Add patties and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Turn over when browned.
8. Cover and cook for about 6 minutes. Meat is done when oozing with transparent juices.

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Scan this QR code with your smartphone to view the recipe video in English.
https://www.youtube.com/c/PenandSpoon

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This article originally appeared in the April 7 issue of Asahi Weekly.

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Chikako Tada

Chikako Tada: The author of seven cookbooks, Tada is a Japanese food journalist and editor of Pen & Spoon, a website devoted to food (https://pen-and-spoon.com/). She worked as a newspaper reporter for 12 years before going freelance. She spent two years studying baking in Paris and began making bento around 2016 during her seven-year stay in India. She returned to Japan in 2020 and lives in Fukuoka.

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