Tonkatsu

Ingredients

Pork

• 4pork loin or fillet cutlets, 2 to 3 cm thick
• salt and white pepper

Coating

• 60 gplain flour
• 2eggs, beaten
• 200 gpanko breadcrumbs

To fry

• oil, for deep frying, about 5 cm deep

Cabbage

• half a white cabbage, shredded as finely as possible
• iced water

Tonkatsu sauce

• 4 tbspWorcestershire sauce
• 3 tbspketchup
• 1 tbspoyster sauce
• 1 tbspsugar
• 1 tspsoy sauce
• 1 tspmustard

To serve

• steamed rice
• miso soup
• toasted sesame seeds
• Japanese mustard, karashi

Directions

1. Use cutlets at least 2 cm thick, and 3 cm is better. Tonkatsu is meant to be a thick juicy cutlet inside a thin crisp shell. Score through the line of fat and sinew around the edge at intervals. That sinew shrinks in the hot oil and curls the cutlet into a bowl shape, so cutting through it in several places keeps it flat.
2. Pound it only lightly. Season both sides with salt and white pepper and leave it 15 minutes. Dredge in flour and pat off all the excess. Shake the flour off thoroughly, since a thick layer goes pasty under the egg and the crumb slides off. Dip in beaten egg, letting it drain.
3. Press it on firmly and coat it thickly, unlike a schnitzel where the crumb is left loose. Do not crush the panko flakes as you press, since their airiness is the whole point.
4. Let the coated cutlets rest for 10 minutes before frying, which helps the coating adhere. Shred the cabbage as finely as you possibly can, into threads. Now soak it in iced water for 10 minutes. Drain it thoroughly and spin or pat it dry. Heat the oil to 170°C (340°F) and use a thermometer. A thick cutlet needs time for the centre to cook through, and hotter oil burns the panko long before that.
5. Use enough oil to submerge the cutlet, at least 5 cm. Do not crowd the pan, which drops the temperature immediately. Fry for about 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, depending on thickness. Now the way to tell it is done. Lift it out and stand it upright on a rack.
6. Stand it on end rather than laying it flat, so oil drains away and the underside stays crisp rather than steaming. Rest it for 3 to 5 minutes, which also lets the centre finish cooking. Now slice it across into strips about 2 cm wide.
7. Cut it with a sharp knife in single strokes, and slicing it before serving is standard so it can be eaten with chopsticks. Mix the sauce ingredients, or use bottled tonkatsu sauce, which is what most Japanese households do. Serve the cutlet with a mound of the cold cabbage, rice, miso soup and the sauce.

Technique

• Rōsu is loin and hire is fillet, and restaurants ask which you want.
• Panko behaves quite differently from ordinary breadcrumbs.
• Bottled tonkatsu sauce is standard in Japanese homes.

Substitutions

• Chicken breast, as chicken katsu.
• Bottled tonkatsu sauce in place of homemade.

Variations

• Katsudon, simmered with egg over rice.
• Katsu curry, served with Japanese curry sauce.
• Menchi katsu, made with minced meat.

History

Rengatei in Ginza served a Western-style pork cutlet from 1899; the thick deep-fried version with shredded cabbage was fixed in the 1920s.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tonkatsu?

Tonkatsu is a main from Japan: panko-breaded deep-fried pork cutlet with shredded cabbage and tangy sauce. Rengatei in Ginza served a Western-style pork cutlet from 1899; the thick deep-fried version with shredded cabbage was fixed in the 1920s.

How long does Tonkatsu take to make?

Tonkatsu takes 25 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Tonkatsu?

Yes, within limits. Chicken breast, as chicken katsu. Bottled tonkatsu sauce in place of homemade.

What is the most important thing to get right in Tonkatsu?

Press it on firmly and coat it thickly, unlike a schnitzel where the crumb is left loose. Do not crush the panko flakes as you press, since their airiness is the whole point.