Tonkatsu

Name: Tonkatsu
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: 4 tbsp ketchup; 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp Japanese or Dijon mustard; 4 (6 oz each) boneless pork loin chops, 2 cm thick, about 170 g each, with a fat rim; 7 g (1¼ tsp) fine sea salt; freshly ground black pepper; 50 g (⅓ cup) all-purpose flour; 2 eggs, beaten; 100 g (2 cups) panko; 1 l (1 qt) neutral oil, for frying; 250 g (3 cups) white cabbage, shredded as fine as possible, soaked in iced water; short-grain rice, Perfect Rice; 1 lemon, wedges

Thick pork loin cutlet in shaggy panko, with cabbage, rice and sauce

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 30 min
Total: 40 min
Level: Easy

Tonkatsu grew out of the European-style cutlets that reached Japan in the late 19th century; the thick, deep-fried pork version became a national favorite in the early 20th. A thick, juicy loin chop is coated in coarse panko and fried until the crust is crisp and the meat just cooked, then sliced and served with shredded cabbage, rice, miso soup and a sweet-tangy sauce. Unlike the thin Wiener Schnitzel, it is thick, panko-crusted and deep-fried; for a chicken version, see Chicken Katsu with Tonkatsu Sauce.

Ingredients

Sauce

4 tbspketchup
2 tbspWorcestershire sauce
1 tbspsoy sauce
1 tbspsugar
1 tspJapanese or Dijon mustard

Pork

4boneless pork loin chops, 2 cm thick (6 oz each)about 170 g each, with a fat rim
7 gfine sea salt (1¼ tsp)
freshly ground black pepper
50 gall-purpose flour (⅓ cup)
2eggsbeaten
100 gpanko (2 cups)
1 lneutral oil (1 qt)for frying

To serve

250 gwhite cabbage (3 cups)shredded as fine as possible, soaked in iced water
short-grain ricePerfect Rice
1lemonwedges

Diet: Dairy-free
Allergens: gluten, egg, soy, fish, mustard
Origin: Japan

Method

Mix the sauce ingredients.
Make 4–5 small cuts through the fat rim and connective tissue at the edge of each chop so it stays flat. Pound lightly with a mallet to 1.5 cm, then reshape with your hands. Season with salt and pepper.
Dredge in flour, shake off, dip in egg, then press firmly into the panko. Rest 5 minutes. 5 min
Heat 4 cm oil in a deep, heavy pot (no more than one-third full) to 170°C (340°F).
Fry 2 cutlets at a time until deep golden, 5–6 minutes, turning once halfway. Pull at 60°C (140°F) in the center. Drain standing on their edge on a rack for 3 minutes; carryover takes them to the safe 63°C (145°F). 12 min
Slice into 2 cm strips, pressing straight down. Serve with a mound of drained cabbage, rice, the sauce and lemon.

Why it works

Cutting the connective tissue at the rim stops the chop curling as it shrinks in the hot oil. Coarse panko crumbs stand up like bristles and fry into a crisp, airy shell that stays crunchy. Resting on the edge lets steam escape from both sides, and the residual heat carries the center gently to a juicy finish.

Common mistakes

Skipping the rim cuts; the chop curls and cooks unevenly.
Oil above 180°C (355°F), which browns the crust before the center is done.
Slicing immediately — wait 3 minutes so the juices settle.

Variations

Katsudon: Simmer sliced tonkatsu with sliced onion in 200 ml dashi (Dashi), 2 tbsp soy and 1 tbsp mirin, pour over 2 beaten eggs, cover until just set, and slide onto rice.
Hirekatsu: Use thick medallions of pork tenderloin, fried 4–5 minutes.