Bitter Melon Burger

 

[Ingredients for 2-3 servings]

- 200-250g ground beef

- 1-2 tablespoons Awamori

- 1/2 small bitter melon (or 1/4 if large)

- A pinch of salt

- 1/4 small onion

- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

- 1/2 tablespoon salad oil

- 1 egg yolk

- A pinch of salt and pepper

- 1/2 tablespoon powdered bonito flakes

- To taste salad oil

- To taste watercress

- To taste cherry tomatoes

<Salted Sauce>

- 100ml dashi stock

- 2 tablespoons sugar

- 1.5 tablespoons rice vinegar

- 1.5 teaspoons salt (Okinawa salt)

- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

- 1 teaspoon potato starch

- Ginger juice 1/2 small

[Preparation]

- Scrape the seeds and pulp from the bitter melon using a spoon, then slice 8-12 pieces 5mm thick for garnish. Finely chop the remaining bitter melon. If the bitterness is too strong, lightly rub with salt. Once the juice has released, rinse quickly and squeeze out the water.

・Finely chop the onion.

・Heat a little salad oil in a frying pan and fry the bitter melon for garnish, then remove from the frying pan. Next, fry the finely chopped bitter melon and onion until soft, then season with salt and pepper and let cool.

[Recipe]

1. Add the ground beef and awamori to a bowl and knead well with your hands. Once sticky, add the sautéed bitter melon, onion, breadcrumbs, egg yolk, salt, pepper, and powdered bonito, and mix well.

2. Coat your hands with salad oil and divide 1 into 4-6 equal parts. Press each part into a ball like a catch ball to remove any air, then shape into a round ball.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of salad oil in a frying pan over high heat and place the hamburger patties in the pan. Cook for about 40 seconds on each side to brown and seal in the flavor.

4. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and steam for 5-6 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the hamburger patties and if clear juices come out, they're ready! (If the juices are cloudy red, they're not yet cooked, so cover and cook again.)

5. While the hamburger patties are cooking, add the ingredients for the <Salt Sauce> to a small saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring.

6. Place the hamburg steak from step 4 in a serving dish, pour the salt sauce from step 5 over it, and garnish with bitter melon, watercress, and cherry tomatoes.