Tonkatsu とんかつ

Japanese Cuisine 🎌

deep-fried breaded pork cutlets

Tonkatsu, a popular Japanese culinary speciality, is a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet typically served with hot mustard and a sweet and tangy dipping sauce over a bed of thinly chopped cabbage. Pork tenderloin or fillet cuts are typically used for this dish. It is a popular dish that can be served ala carte, with rice, and/or Japanese-styled curry.

It pairs well with beer, or red (Cabernet Sauvingon) or white (Chardonay, Sauvingon Blanc) wine.

Click here to learn more about tonkatsu!

Ingredients

How to Make Tonkatsu

  1. Remove the extra fat and make a couple of slits on the connective tissue between the meat and fat.
  2. Tenderize the meat using a meat pounder or the back of a kitchen knife.
  3. Mold the extended meat back into the original shape using your hands in a cupping formation.
  4. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
  5. In a large bowl, add 1/2 Tbsp. oil for every egg used and whisk together using a whisk or fork.
  6. Add flour in a separate bowl. Add panko in a separate bowl.
  7. Dredge the pork tenderloin in flour. Remove excess flour.
  8. Dip floured tenderloin in the egg mixture
  9. Dredge tenderloin in panko. After removing the excess breadcrumbs, press gently between your palms.
  10. Heat oil in a wok or a deep frying pan to 350°F (180°C). Alternatively, you can stick a chopstick into the oil and if tiny bubbles start to appear at the tip, the oil is ready.
  11. Deep-fry for 1 minute on one side, and flip over. If your porkchop is thinner than 3/4 inch, reduce cooking time to 45 seconds per side
  12. Remove cooked pork chop and hold vertically for a few seconds to remove excess oil. Place on top of a wire rack or a plate padded with paper towels for a few minutes while the hot oil on the exterior slowly cooks the inside. Do not cut the cooked tenderloin to check in order to retain the heat.
  13. After resting for a few minutes, bring the oil back to 350°F(180°C) and cook for about 30 seconds on each side. Hold cooked tenderloin vertically over oil to drip for a few seconds before transferring to wire rack/paper towels.
  14. Cut cooked tenderloins into large strips by pressing the knife directly down to preserve breading. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately with tonkatsu sauce.

See Namiko Chen's website for the original recipe.

This page was coded by Jessica Olaes