30.Dec.2011 Easy Japanese recipe: Tonkatsu
Another fried favourite…
I realised the other day that I have posted lots of chicken and fish recipes but other than Korokke – the Japanese croquette which uses minced pork, I haven’t offered much in the way of pork recipes. So I thought it’s time to rectify this with a beloved Western-style Japanese recipe that is also incredibly easy to make: Tonkatsu or fried pork cutlets.
Because this Japanese recipe requires very few ingredients, it is worth it to use a good quality piece of pork to avoid it ending up tough and unappetising. Tonkatsu is usually served with some shredded cabbage and tonkatsu (sometimes just called katsu) sauce also mentioned in my Korokke post. This is another Japanese recipe which works well cold in a bento box the next day or in a sandwich with mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato!
Tonkatsu with katsu sauce and cabbage. Image by Jetalone, Flickr.
Japanese recipe: Tonkatsu
Ingredients
- Pork cutlet or chop
- Flour for dusting
- ‘Panko’ or breadcrumbs
- 1 egg – beaten
- Oil for frying
- ¼ head white cabbage
- Tonkatsu sauce (or Worcestershire if you’re in a pinch!)
Method
Shred the cabbage very finely – preferably using a mandolin if you have one. Break some ice into a large bowl and fill halfway with water. Place shredded cabbage in the ice water to keep it crisp. Trim fat off pork cutlet if it bothers you and then using a knife make little slits of cross-way cuts over each side to prevent it from curling up when frying. Season each side of the pork with salt and pepper. Put a little flour on a dinner plate and dust pork cutlet thoroughly on both sides. Beat an egg in a small bowl and in another bowl sprinkle the breadcrumbs. Dredge pork cutlet first in the egg and then breadcrumbs – making sure it has a nice thick layer of crumbs and using your hands to press it down so it stays firmly in place. Heat oil in wok or saucepan to frying temperature (around 170C) and fry cutlet until it is golden brown on all sides. It will be firm to the touch when done. Drain on paper towelling. Drain cabbage and spin in a salad spinner to make sure it is free from excess water. Serve cabbage alongside Tonkatsu with special sauce and plain rice if you want a more substantial meal.
**Note: Like all Japanese recipes which involves deep frying it is important to be VERY careful when making this dish. Hot oil is incredibly dangerous and requires skill and extremely careful handling to prevent serious accidents.
Renee 
