Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu is so popular in Japan that there are even restaurants that only serve tonkatsu and similar items such as kushikatsu (bite-sized fried bits of pork and other things on a skewer). Tonkatsu - ton is pig or pork, and katsu derives from the word cutlet. While Tonkatsu is typically served with a sweet brown sauce, we like ours drizzle with mayo.

Since Tonkatsu is a simple dish that requires very few ingredients, the quality of the ingredients are important. In this case it’s crucial that you use a good piece of pork, otherwise you may end up with a tough leathery meat. I like using  boneless center-cut pork chop. Another key ingredient for tonkatsu is panko. You can buy panko at the Asian store of any supermarket. Just look at the international section.

Ingredients:

4  pork chops (about 3/4" thick)
some flour for dredging
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
oil for frying

1. Remove the fats from the meat. Using a mallet or rolling pin, give the meat a few bashes to tenderized and flatten out the meat. Salt and pepper both sides of each cutlet then dredge them in flour, making sure to get an even coat on the sides. Shake off excess flour.
2. Get two shallow bowls and beat an egg in one, and add the panko to the other. Heat up the oil into a heavy bottomed pot and heat over medium heat.
3. Coat a cutlet in egg then transfer to the bowl with the panko. Shake the bowl to evenly coat the cutlet, and then press on the cutlet to get a nice thick coating of panko. Flip and press on the other side then repeat with the rest of the cutlets
4. Once the oil is hot, gently lower the cutlets into the oil, once the cutlets are golden brown on one side, carefully flip them over and brown the other side. Continue cooking until the golden brown and the meat is done. Transfer to a paper towel lined wire rack and let it rest of about 5 minutes before cutting into it.
5. Serve it with your favorite salad.