Tonkatsu
For crackly crisp yet juicy tonkatsu, or Japanese pork cutlets, pound boneless pork loins until impossibly thin, dredge in flour, egg and panko, then deep-fry, not once, but twice. (After the first fry, the pork rests for a bit, allowing it to finish cooking from the residual heat without drying out. It’s quickly fried a second time until golden brown.) Drizzle the finished pork cutlets with tonkatsu sauce, a spiced, sweet and tangy sauce. Here, ketchup and Worcestershire make for a quick rendition, but you can also purchase premade sauce at Japanese markets and online. Serve piping hot tonkatsu and rice alongside a heap of cold shredded cabbage drizzled with a creamy dressing, if you like.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- ⅓cup ketchup
- ¼cup plus 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1tablespoon oyster sauce
- 4tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise, or regular mayonnaise
- 2tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1tablespoons soy sauce
- 1teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 3cups shredded green cabbage
- 3(1/2-inch thick) boneless pork loins or chops (tonkatsu) (about 1 pound), trimmed of excess fat
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- Black pepper
- 1tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying (about 7 cups)
- ¼cup all-purpose flour
- 2large eggs
- 1cup panko
- Steamed rice, for serving
Instructions
Step 1
Make the tonkatsu sauce: In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, Worcestershire, sugar and oyster sauce.Step 2
Make the cabbage dressing, if using: In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, rice vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.Step 3
Prepare the tonkatsu: Using a sharp knife, make shallow slits on the pork loin, along the connective tissue, the white thick strip between the fat and the meat. Flip the pork and repeat on the other side. Using a meat mallet, pound the pork until it’s ¼-inch thick. Lightly season the pork with salt and pepper, being mindful that the tonkatsu sauce is well seasoned.Step 4
In a deep, heavy-bottomed pot, add 2 inches of oil. Heat over medium-high until the temperature reaches 350 degrees. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place a wire rack on a sheet pan for the fried pork. (If desired, line the sheet pan with parchment for easier cleanup.)Step 5
Place the flour on a plate. In a shallow dish, like a pie plate, whisk the eggs and 1 tablespoon of oil until combined. To a similar size dish, add the panko. Place a second sheet pan or a large plate nearby for the coated pork.Step 6
Coat each piece of pork in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in the egg mixture, allowing any excess to drip back into the dish. Finally, coat in the panko, gently pressing down to make sure it sticks to the pork. Place on the sheet pan and set aside for 10 minutes at room temperature to allow the crust to adhere to the meat.Step 7
When the oil is at temperature, transfer the pork loins, one at a time to avoid overcrowding, to the hot oil. Fry for 1 minute, turn pork and fry the other side for 1 minute. Using tongs, remove the pork from the oil, holding it over the pot to allow any excess oil to drip off. Place on the wire rack and let it rest for 4 minutes. While the first pork loin rests, fry the second loin. After the 4 minute rest, return the first pork loin to the pot and fry for a second time, until golden brown, about 30 seconds per side. Lift the pork out, as before, and hold it on its side over the pot to allow any excess oil to drip off. (If you’d like, transfer to a separate wire rack on a sheet pan in a warm oven.) Repeat frying and resting with the remaining pork loins. In between each fry, use a mesh sieve or slotted spoon to skim off and discard any crumbs floating in the oil, and adjust the heat as necessary to maintain the temperature.Step 8
Slice the pork into ¾-inch-thick strips and drizzle with the tonkatsu sauce. Serve alongside rice, and the shredded cabbage drizzled with the dressing, if you’d like.