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Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu is a delicious Japanese dish featuring breaded and deep-fried pork cutlets, often served with shredded cabbage and a sesame dipping sauce.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting Time 4 minutes
Total Time 49 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 2 cutlets
Calories 523 kcal

Equipment

  • Pot
  • Deep Dish
  • Knife
  • meat tenderizer
  • whisk
  • Wire rack
  • Slicer
  • food processor
  • fine mesh strainer
  • Chopstick

Ingredients
  

Shredded Cabbage Salad (optional)

  • 0.25 head green cabbage
  • 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber
  • 4 tablespoon Japanese sesame dressing

Sesame Dipping Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon toasted black sesame seeds
  • 4 tablespoon tonkatsu sauce

Breading

  • 0.5 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) or more, as needed
  • 1 large egg
  • 0.5 tablespoon neutral oil for the egg
  • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Tonkatsu

  • 2 boneless pork loin chops (½ inch thick)
  • 0.5 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 0.125 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cups neutral oil for deep-frying

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Gather all the ingredients.
  • For the shredded cabbage, shred ¼ head green cabbage finely.
  • Thinly slice 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber diagonally.
  • Toss cabbage and cucumber together and set aside.
  • Prepare 4 tablespoon Japanese sesame dressing and keep refrigerated.

Dipping Sauce

  • Grind 1 tablespoon toasted white and black sesame seeds.
  • Divide the ground sesame seeds and 4 tablespoon tonkatsu sauce among individual bowls.

Breading

  • Prepare ½ cup panko, moist it and set aside.
  • In a deep dish, whisk 1 large egg with ½ tablespoon neutral oil.
  • Have 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour ready in another dish.

Pork Preparation

  • Remove fat from 2 pork loin chops. Make slits on connective tissue.
  • Pound both sides with a knife or meat tenderizer.
  • Season with salt and black pepper.

Bread the Pork

  • Dredge pork in flour, then dip in egg mixture.
  • Coat with panko and set aside for 5–10 minutes.

Cooking

  • Heat 3 cups neutral oil to 340ºF (170ºC).
  • Deep-fry one cutlet for 1 minute, then flip and cook for another minute.
  • Let drain and rest for 4 minutes.
  • Repeat with the second cutlet.

Second Fry

  • Raise oil temperature to 355ºF (180ºC).
  • Fry each cutlet again for 30 seconds on each side.

Serving

  • Cut the tonkatsu into slices about ¾ inch wide.
  • Serve with shredded cabbage, cucumber, sesame dressing, and dipping sauce.

Storage

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer.
  • Reheat in the oven at 350ºF (180ºC) as needed.

Notes

For best results, use fresh panko and quality pork loin chops.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cutletCalories: 523kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 27gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 19gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 491mgPotassium: 458mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 96IUCalcium: 74mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Breaded Pork, Deep Fried, Japanese Cuisine, Pork Cutlet, Tonkatsu
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