Tonkatsu

Serves
2
Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min

Ingredients

Cabbage salad (optional)

  • 1/4headgreen cabbage
  • 1Japanese cucumber
  • or 1Persian cucumber
  • 4tbspJapanese sesame dressing

Dipping sauce

  • 1tbspwhite sesame seeds, toasted
  • 1tbspblack sesame seeds, toasted
  • 4tbsptonkatsu sauce

Breading

  • 2tbspall-purpose flour
  • 1large (50 g)large (13/4 oz)egg
  • 1/2tbspneutral oil
  • 1201/2mlcuppanko

Pork

  • 2(100 g)(31/2 oz)pork loin chops, boneless, about 13 mm1/2 in thick
  • 1/2tspkosher salt
  • or 1/4tsptable salt
  • 1/8tspblack pepper, freshly ground
  • 7203mlcupsneutral oil, for deep-frying

Equipment

  • mortar and pestle
  • meat mallet
  • deep pot
  • wire rack
  • meat thermometer
  • cabbage slicer, optional

Steps

Cabbage salad (optional)

  1. Finely shred the cabbage with a knife or slicer.

  2. Slice the cucumber thinly on the diagonal, then cut the slices into thin strips.

  3. Toss the cabbage and cucumber together and chill until serving, with the dressing on the side.

Dipping sauce

  1. Grind the white and black sesame seeds in the mortar, leaving some whole.

  2. Divide between two dipping bowls and top with the tonkatsu sauce.

Breading

  1. Spray the panko with water until just moist and let it sit for .

  2. Whisk the egg and oil together in a shallow dish. Put the flour in a second dish.

Pork

  1. Trim the excess fat from the chops and cut small slits through the connective tissue on both sides.

  2. Pound both sides with the meat mallet, then press the chops back into shape.

  3. Season both sides with the salt and pepper.

  4. Dredge in the flour and shake off the excess, dip in the egg, then press into the panko. Let the breading set for .

Fry

  1. Heat the oil in the pot (about 4.5 cm13/4 in deep) to 170°C340°F.

  2. Fry one cutlet for without moving it, flip, and fry more. Drain on the wire rack for . Skim out the crumbs, then fry the second cutlet the same way.

  3. Raise the oil to 180°C355°F. Fry each cutlet again for per side and drain for , skimming out crumbs between cutlets.

Serve

  1. Cut the tonkatsu crosswise into 19 mm3/4 in slices. Serve with the cabbage salad, sesame dressing and dipping sauce.

Storage

Keeps in an airtight container for 3–4 days in the fridge or 3–4 months in the freezer. Reheat at 180°C350°F for 15–20 minutes from thawed, or 30–40 minutes from frozen.

Notes

  • The salt amount is for Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is about half as salty by volume as table salt.
  • To get rid of the frying oil, let it cool and solidify it with oil-solidifying powder, or seal it in a container for the trash. Follow local rules.

Source: www.justonecookbook.com