Japanese Pretzel Tonkatsu Burger

To make the tonkatsu sauce: Grate the fresh ginger into a small dish. Squeeze with your fingers to extract 1 tablespoon of liquid ginger juice (or, if you like, squeeze it through a moist paper towel). Heat a small sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Cook until it browns lightly, about 5 minutes, then add the ketchup. Cook, stirring, until it thickens and loses its raw taste, about 1 minute. Off heat, add the ginger juice, sake, and black pepper to taste and stir to combine. Set aside.

For the tonkatsu: Lightly season the ground beef with salt and black pepper, then shape it into four 4-ounce pucks about 3 ½ inches wide and 1 inch thick. Season both sides with more salt and pepper to taste. Prepare two bowls for breading: one with beaten egg, the second with the mixture of pretzel meal and panko. Season the panko mixture with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Double-bread the patties: drop each burger into egg, and finally drop into the pretzel/panko mixture, pressing gently on the patty to make the coating adhere, and repeat: drop again into the egg and the panko mixture. Set them on a plate.

Pour 1⁄2 inch of oil into a heavy cast-iron skillet and preheat over medium-high heat. When the oil registers 350°F on a deep fry thermometer, carefully add the tonkatsu patties, leaving a little room around them. Fry quickly, about 2 minutes per side, until evenly browned and crispy. Blot on a paper towel-lined plate and serve with a ½ cup of marinated greens and a dollop of tonkatsu sauce.