Pork Cutlets (Tonkatsu)Recipe
Japanese Recipes

This dish was probably introduced to the Japanese by foreign traders some centuries ago. It is very popular and most suitable for anyone trying Japanese food for the first time, since it is similar to Western dishes. It is equally good served cold, or in sandwiches.

Ingredients

4-6 boned loin or chump pork chops, or fillet steaks
salt
freshly ground black pepper
flour for coating
2 eggs, beaten
panko or breadcrumbs for coating
vegetable oil for deep-frying
1 sheet nori, shred finely to 4 cm long strip

To serve:

175 g/6 oz cabbage, finely shredded
few parsley sprigs
tonkatsu sauce (optional) 

Method:

1. Pound the pork with a mallet to flatten it slightly, then sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Coat with flour, dip in the egg, then coat with panko or breadcrumbs.

2. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180⁰C/350⁰F. Deep-fry the pork for 10 minutes, turning down the heat a little so that the pork cooks thoroughly: turn the pork once during frying to brown both sides.

3. Test the pork to make sure the meat is no longer pink, then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper towels. Cut each piece of pork into 3 to 4 slices, then reshape on a warmed serving dish. Top each of the steaks with a small bundle of the nori strips.

4. Arrange the cabbage around the pork and garnish with parsley. Serve hot with tonkatsu sauce, if liked.

Serves 4 to 6