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Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet)

Tonkatsu is Japan's answer to the schnitzel, and honestly, it might be the best version going around. Pork loin steaks are coated in shaggy panko breadcrumbs and fried until impossibly crunchy on the outside while staying juicy inside.

The traditional plate is half the joy: a mountain of finely shredded cabbage, steamed rice and a generous drizzle of sweet-tangy tonkatsu sauce that cuts through the richness.

It looks like restaurant food, but the technique is dead simple - flour, egg, panko, fry. If you can crumb a schnitzel, you can make tonkatsu.

Servings
4
Prep Time
20
mins
Cook Time
15
mins
Ingredients
11
Total Time
35
mins

Pantry bits

  • Large heavy-based saucepan or deep frying pan
  • Cooking thermometer
  • 3 shallow bowls (for crumbing)
  • Wire rack
  • Meat mallet or rolling pin
  • Sharp knife and chopping board

Ingredients

  • 4 pork loin steaks (about 500g total), about 2cm thick
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 75g (1/2 cup) plain flour
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 150g (2 1/2 cups) panko breadcrumbs
  • 750ml vegetable oil, for frying
  • 1/4 wombok (Chinese cabbage) or 1/4 green cabbage, very finely shredded
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) tonkatsu sauce (such as Bull-Dog brand)
  • Steamed short-grain rice, to serve
  • Lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions

  1. Snip through the line of fat on the edge of each pork steak in a few spots so the cutlets stay flat while frying. Lightly pound to an even thickness, then season both sides with salt and white pepper.
  2. Set up three shallow bowls: flour in one, beaten egg in the second, panko in the third.
  3. Coat each cutlet in flour and shake off the excess, dip in egg, then press firmly into the panko so the crumbs really stick.
  4. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan or deep frying pan to 170C - a panko crumb dropped in should sizzle and rise straight away.
  5. Fry the cutlets one or two at a time for 5-6 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and cooked through.
  6. Drain on a wire rack (not paper towel) for 3-4 minutes so the crust stays crisp, then slice each cutlet into 2cm strips.
  7. Pile shredded cabbage onto plates, add the sliced tonkatsu and rice, drizzle generously with tonkatsu sauce and serve with lemon wedges.

Other recipes

Nasi Kuning (Indonesian Yellow Rice)
Opor Ayam (Chicken in Coconut Curry)
Martabak Telur (Savoury Stuffed Pancake)

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