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Tonkatsu Recipe (Japanese Pork Cutlet)

This tonkatsu recipe highlights everything that makes the dish so satisfying—juicy pork, a light panko crust, and a perfectly crisp fry.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Dry Brine12 hours
Total Time13 hours 30 minutes
Course: lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: crispy, fried, japanese, pork, tonkatsu
Servings: 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pork shoulder
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp MSG
  • 3 slices japanese milk bread (for breadcrumbs)
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 eggs

Sweet bonito soy

  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • cup water
  • 1 tbsp bonito flakes

Katsu sauce

  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce

Instructions

  • Cut yourself a pork shoulder steak about 1.5 inches thick. Make sure it is as even as possible.
    1 lb pork shoulder
  • Season with salt and MSG. Place in the fridge on a wire rack to dry brine overnight uncovered.
    1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp MSG
  • After done dry brining, wrap it up in tin foil and place into the oven at 200F until it reaches 150F internal.
  • Cut off the crust from your milk bread and pulse in a food processor until breadcrumbs are formed.
    Note: it will be easier to cut and pulse if you freeze your bread beforehand.
    3 slices japanese milk bread
  • Coat your cooked pork steak in flour.
    ¼ cup flour
  • Place into the eggwash. (2 beaten eggs)
    2 eggs
  • Then coat completely in the breadcrumbs made in the previous step. Pres in firmly to make sure its completely coated.
    3 slices japanese milk bread
  • Fry at 350f for 2 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Set aside to rest while you make the sauces.
  • Cut into the katsu and serve with the sauces.

Sweet bonito soy

  • Into a pan mix together soy sauce, sugar, and water. Heat this up over medium heat until the sugar is completely melted.
    3 tbsp sugar, ¼ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup water
  • Place bonito flakes into the soy sauce mixture, cover with a lid for 10 minutes, and strain.
    1 tbsp bonito flakes

Katsu sauce

  • Into a bowl mix together all the katsu sauce ingredients. Adjust to your desired sweetness.
    ¼ cup ketchup, 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp oyster sauce