Japanese people have been indulging in Tonkatsu for over a century; it is crispy, juicy, and simply delicious.
Tonkatsu first appeared in 1899 at Renga-tei, a Japanese restaurant serving a western-style menu in Tokyo, and quickly gained popularity: I personally think it should be considered one of the national foods in Japan, it is that popular.
How to Prepare Tonkatsu
Although the first Tonkatsu might not resemble the current version, Tonkatsu is a dish where sliced pork is dredged in flour, dipped in egg, and finished with a coat of panko bread crumbs. Pork is then deep-fried and served with tonkatsu sauce, sweet, savory, and slightly peppery brown sauce.
Tonkatsu is typically served as an entree with a side of shredded cabbage, rice, soup, and pickles. However, there are many other ways to enjoy Tonkatsu: in Katsu Sando ( sandwiches), Katsu Curry (with curry), Katsu Donburi (over rice with or without eggs), and Kushi Katsu (on skewers).
Other Popular Dishes Using Panko
Panko Breaded Oysters
Chicken Katsu
Croquettes
On a side note: the word “katsu” implies winning and therefore often eaten before competitions and exams.
Tonkatsu
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound pork loin sliced into two pieces
- 1 cup panko Japanese bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 egg well beaten with a tablespoon of cold water
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups vegetable oil for deep frying
Home-made Tonkatsu sauce
- 2 tablespoon Worcester sauce
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
- Gather ingredients.
- Make the sauce by mixing the Worchester sauce, ketchup, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Heat the sauce until everything is well-combined. Keep it warm.
- Cut pork into either two large slices. The meat should be about ¼ inch-thick. Tenderize the meat if necessary and cut slits into any fat or membrane so the meat will not curl as it deep-fries. Lightly salt and pepper the pork.
- Dust the pork in flour, dredge them in egg mixture, then press them onto panko bread crumbs. The pork should be covered completely in bread crumbs.
- Heat the oil to 300 F and fry the pork one at a time, turning it as it brown's about 3 minutes total. Take the pork out of oil and dry it in an oil drying rack or paper towel.
- Cut the pork into strips and serve them hot with home-made Tonkatsu sauce.
Nutrition
