Cook the Book: Japanese Burgers with Wasabi Ketchup

To make the wasabi ketchup, whisk together the ketchup, soy sauce, and wasabi in a bowl; set aside.

To make the burgers, mix together the breadcrumbs and milk in a bowl and let sit until the breadcrumbs absorb all the milk, about 5 minutes. When the breadcrumbs are ready, mix them together with the ground beef, ground pork, black pepper, onion, soy sauce, and salt in a large bowl. Knead the meat until it becomes sticky and binds together; divide the mixture into 4 equal parts. Lightly dab your hands with sesame oil. Using your palms, roll each part of the meat into a ball, then pat the ball flat, shifting it from hand to hand, to form a 1/2-inch-thick patty (patting like this compresses the meat and removes air pockets). Press down to make an indentation in the center of the patty (which prevents the patty from puffing up into a ball while it grills).

Place the completed patties on a sheet of aluminum foil.

Preheat a grill to medium. Grill the burgers until they’re nicely browned, about 10 minutes, flipping twice. These burgers have to cook through completely because of the pork; you’ll see no pink in the middle, but they’ll still be incredibly juicy and tasty.

Let the burgers rest for 2 minutes. Spoon the wasabi ketchup on top and serve.