Tonkatsu (pork cutlets)

Name: Tonkatsu (pork cutlets)
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients: Pork loin (tonkatsu cut) 2 cutlets (120–150 g each, about 1.5 cm thick); Egg 1; Cabbage 1/8; Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 200 ml (about 40 g); Tonkatsu sauce As much as you like; Flour (all-purpose) 3 tbsp; Salt 1/4 tsp; Pepper A little; Vegetable oil (for frying) 2 cm deep in the frying pan; Paper towels and a rack For draining after frying

Serves 2 · About 40 min
Pork loin coated in breading and fried in a small amount of oil in a frying pan.

① Prep the meat→② Coat the fish→③ Heat the oil→④ Fry→⑤ Drain the oil and cut

What to buy

Meat

Pork loin (tonkatsu cut)2 cutlets (120–150 g each, about 1.5 cm thick)

Eggs & vegetables

Egg1CabbageShred it finely and serve on the side1/8

Seasonings & dry goods

Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)200 ml (about 40 g)Tonkatsu sauceAs much as you like

Check what you already have

Flour (all-purpose)3 tbspSalt1/4 tspPepperA littleVegetable oil (for frying)About 500–700 ml2 cm deep in the frying panPaper towels and a rackFor draining after frying

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How to make it

Cut the tendons and season with salt and pepper

About 5 min

Take the meat out of the fridge
With the tip of a knife, make cuts every 2–3 cm along the line between the fat and the lean meat (both sides). This stops the meat from curling up when fried
Sprinkle both sides with 1/4 tsp salt (for 2 cutlets) and a little pepper
Wash your hands, knife and cutting board with dish soap after touching the meat. Then finely shred the cabbage and soak it in water (drain it later)

How to tell it's doneCuts are made along the edge of the fat, and both sides are seasoned with salt and pepper.

Coat with flour, then egg, then panko

About 5 min

Get 3 trays or plates ready, and put 3 tbsp flour, 1 beaten egg and panko in each one separately
Coat both sides and the edges of the meat with flour, and pat with your hands to shake off the extra flour
Dip in the egg to coat all over
Put panko on top and press lightly with your palm so it sticks
When you finish coating, wash your hands with dish soap

How to tell it's doneNo meat is showing from any side.

Be carefulIf the flour is thick, the coating comes off easily when fried.

Heat the oil to about 170°C

Medium heatAbout 5 min

Put oil about 2 cm deep in a frying pan and put it on medium heat
After about 5 minutes, touch the tip of dry cooking chopsticks to the bottom of the oil and watch the bubbles
No bubbles, or almost none: still too cool. Wait a little more
Fine bubbles keep fizzing up from the tip: about 170°C. You can start frying
Big bubbles rush up from the whole chopstick: too hot. Lower the heat and wait 1–2 minutes

How to tell it's doneFine bubbles keep rising from the tip of the chopsticks. Another sign: drop in a little panko, and it doesn't sink to the bottom but floats up partway and spreads out.

Be carefulKeep water away from the oil (if water gets in, the oil splatters). If the oil smokes, it's too hot, so turn off the heat right away. Don't leave the stove while frying.

Fry

Medium heat2 1/2–3 min per side

Gently slide the meat in one piece at a time, from the side closest to you toward the back of the pan (so the oil doesn't splatter on you)
Don't touch it for 1 minute after putting it in (the coating will come off)
After 2 1/2–3 minutes, flip it with cooking chopsticks and fry the other side for 2 1/2–3 minutes
If your pan is small, fry one piece at a time (adding too many at once lowers the oil temperature)

How to tell it's doneBoth sides are golden brown, the bubbles around the meat get smaller and fewer, and the sound changes from a loud sizzle to a light crackle.

Be carefulWear long sleeves in case the oil splatters. When you finish frying, turn off the heat and don't move the oil until it has cooled completely.

Drain the oil and cut

Heat offAbout 3 min

Stand the tonkatsu up on a rack or paper towels and drain the oil for 3 minutes (the heat keeps cooking the inside during this time)
Cut into 1.5–2 cm wide strips with a knife
Serve with the drained cabbage and pour on the sauce

ReadyThe meat at the cut is whitish all the way through, and the juice that comes out is clear. If any part is red or pink, put the cut pieces back in the oil and fry on medium heat for 1–2 minutes.

📚 Learn more about this dish

🥬 Ingredient guide

Eggs

🔪 Cutting & cooking tips

Heat levels (high, medium, low)Sen-giri (julienne)

If it didn't work out

The coating came offYou didn't shake off the flour and it was too thick, or you touched it right after it went into the oil. Next time use a thin coat of flour, and don't touch it for 1 minute.

Burnt outside, raw insideThe oil was too hot. Next time put the meat in when the bubbles in step 3 are "fine and steady", and keep the heat at medium.

Oily, soggy coatingThe oil wasn't hot enough, or you put in too many at once. Next time check the bubbles, and fry one piece at a time.

The meat curled upYou didn't cut the tendons enough in step 1. Make cuts along the line between the fat and lean meat on both sides.

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Made by YUU, a teen who loves cooking → About me