Ingredients (~6 servings)
Tonkatsu Sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp miso (optional)
- Pinch of sugar
Pork Katsu
- 1 1/2 lbs pork loin, cut into 6 pieces
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
- Oil for frying (about 3 inches deep)
For Serving
- Cooked rice
- Hawaiian-style mac salad
- Side salad
Tonkatsu Sauce
In a bowl, mix ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, miso, and sugar until combined.
Use a whisk to combine everything completely, as the miso will clump upon first mixing but will dissolve with whisking.
Keep the sauce in a bowl until ready to serve.
How to Prepare Pork for Tonkatsu
Trim all visible fat from the pork loin, slice into six equal portions.
You can pound each section with a meat mallet by draping it in plastic wrap and pounding it to approximately ¼-inch thickness.
Pounding the pork helps to break down and tenderize muscle tissue which results in the final product being much less chewy than before.
Each of the six pieces should now be generously salted on both sides (approximately one-half teaspoon kosher salt for each piece).
Stack the salted pork between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap on a plate and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours or ideally overnight.
The process of dry-brining allows seasoning from the salt to penetrate through the entire thickness of the meat versus just flavouring the outside.
Set Up the Breading Station and Remove Pork from Refrigeration
Take pork out of refrigerator and allow to reach room temperature while preparing.
Set three shallow bowls side by side so that the first contains all-purpose flour, the second contains beaten egg(s), and the third contains panko.
Also prepare a baking sheet large enough to accommodate all of the breaded cutlets in one layer.
Having these stations set up allows you to keep your hands relatively clean while still being able to quickly retrieve and coat each cutlet as necessary.
Breading Cutlets
Take one piece of the pork and dip it into the flour to cover both sides and shake off excess flour.
Dip the same piece into the beaten egg(s) to coat both sides and allow the excess to drip off.
Take the egg-coated piece of meat and dip it into the panko to coat both sides while pressing down on the panko to build moisture and adhere to the meat.
Make sure that both sides of the pork are completely covered with the panko; there should not be any exposed areas on the surface of the meat.
Once the cutlet is fully coated, place it on a baking sheet and repeat the process for the remaining five cutlets.
Cooking Tonkatsu Pork Cutlets
Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed pot with at least 3 inches of oil in it until the oil reaches 335ºF (178ºC).
Getting the oil temperature right is very critical to the success of this dish.
Too hot and the outer crust burns before the centre finishes cooking.
Fry only two to three cutlets at a time, frying them on the first side for approximately three minutes.
Gently turn or flip the cutlet(s) and let cook on this second side for approximately another 2-3 minutes or until both sides have turned a deep golden brown and the internal temperature has reached 145ºF (63ºC).
Your cutlet’s outer panko crust should be deep golden in colour, not pale or a burnt brown.
Once all of the cutlets have been fried, place them on a wire rack to catch the oil drips and repeat the same frying procedure with any remaining cutlets.
Final Presentation of Tonkatsu
After allowing the fried cutlets to rest for approximately two minutes, cut them into strips with a sharp knife.
Allowing the cutlets to rest for a couple of minutes prevents all of the juicy flavour from running out of the cutlets.
Serve Tonkatsu over rice with a drizzle of Tonkatsu Sauce and alongside either macaroni salad (mac salad) or some simple side salad.
Pork Katsu
Ingredients
Tonkatsu Sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp miso optional
- Pinch sugar
Pork Katsu
- 1 1/2 lbs pork loin cut into 6 pieces
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
- Oil for frying about 3 inches deep
For Serving
- Cooked rice
- Hawaiian-style mac salad
- Side salad
Instructions
- Mix ketchup, worcestershire, oyster sauce, miso, and sugar until smooth. Set aside.
- Trim fat from pork and cut into 6 pieces. Pound each between plastic wrap to 1/4-inch thick.
- Sprinkle both sides generously with salt, about 1/2 tsp per cutlet. Layer between parchment and refrigerate 2-4 hours.
- Remove pork from fridge and bring to room temperature.
- Set up three shallow bowls with flour, beaten eggs, and panko.
- Dip each cutlet in flour, then eggs, then panko, pressing firmly to coat completely.
- Heat 3 inches of oil in heavy pan to 335F.
- Fry 2-3 cutlets at a time for 3 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 145F.
- Transfer to wire rack and repeat with remaining cutlets.
- Rest 2 minutes, then slice into strips.
- Serve over rice with tonkatsu sauce, mac salad, and side salad.
