Have you ever tried making tonkatsu at home? Was it as good as the one from the restaurant? Don’t worry about it! With a little bit of technique that I’m going to show you today, you can experience the authentic Japanese pork cutlet at home. Alright, are you guys ready? Let’s get started!

TONKATSU (2 servings)

Ingredients:

2 pieces pork loin (about 0.8-1 inch thick)
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 slices white bread
2 cups (150g) green cabbage
4 tbsp potato starch (or cornstarch)
1 large egg
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups (420g) hot cooked rice, to serve

Brine:

5 tbsp water
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp sake (or soju, tequila, vodka, etc.)

Dipping Sauce (or Salt and Pepper with Wasabi) :

1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp Japanese mustard (optional)

Cabbage Salad Dressing:

3 tbsp toasted, ground sesame seeds
1 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
Salt, to taste

Instructions:

MARINATE PORK

1. Cut the pork loin into pieces, about 0.8-1 inch thick. FYI, I used 2.6 oz (1.2kg) of pork and got 6 pieces in total.

2. With a fork (or a knife), stab into them across both sides of the pork and lightly score them. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

3. In a mixing bowl, mix together 5 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 3 tablespoons Sake. In a ziplock bag, add the pork pieces and the marinade. Give it a good massage. Marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.

MAKE DIPPING SAUCE

In a small container, mix together the sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, and mustard (if using). Instead of the dipping sauce, you could also dip it in the salt and pepper with some wasabi.

MAKE CABBAGE SALAD

1. Thinly slice the cabbage. Soak them in some cold water for 10 minutes. Drain.

2. Make the salad dressing. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons toasted, ground sesame seeds along with the sugar, mayonnaise, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt to taste. Mix together until well combined.

BREAD & FRY

1. Take out your meat from the fridge. Pat dry with paper towels.

2. For the breading station, take out 2 trays. In the first tray, add 4 tablespoons potato starch (or cornstarch) and crack an egg. Whisk together until well combined. For the second tray, cut the crusts off the bread. Grate the bread or place into a food processor. Make breadcrumbs a little chunkier than store-bought panko.

3. Coat each piece of the pork in the egg mixture and then in the bread crumbs. Make sure that all the sides are perfectly coated.

4. Meanwhile, heat the oil to 170℃ (340℉). Fry 1 or 2 pieces at a time for 6 minutes or until beautiful, golden brown. Skim away all the breadcrumbs floating in the oil. Let rest on a cooling rack for 3 minutes.

(If you don’t have a deep fryer or a thermometer, I recommend cooking at 150℃ (300℉) for 4-5 minutes and increase the heat to high and cook for 3-4 more minutes.)

5. To serve, put some cabbage and rice onto serving plates. Cut the pork cutlet into bite-sized pieces. Place them on the plates. Serve with the dipping sauce and the salad dressing. Enjoy!

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