![]() Cabbage – Why is Tonkatsu (and other Japanese deep-fried foods) almost always served next to a heaping pile of raw, finely shredded cabbage? My mom often says we need to eat twice as much vegetables as meat for a balanced meal.If you’d like to try a homemade version, I have a recipe for you. Sauce – You can’t enjoy Tonkatsu without sweet and tangy Tonkatsu Sauce drizzled on top! You may know this from the popular Bulldog brand that can be found in most Asian grocery stores.Deep-frying – Instead of pan-frying which can results in tougher and greasy meat, deep frying gives the pork a crispy outside and juicy center that is now a key characteristic of the dish.This results in an airy, crispy coating (like tempura) that doesn’t feel too heavy. Panko flakes are larger than standard breadcrumbs and absorb less oil when fried. Breading – Rather than using finely ground and stale breadcrumbs, Tonkatsu requires panko (パン粉), a Japanese-style breadcrumb made from soft white bread without the crust.What makes the Japanese pork cutlet different? ![]() What Makes Tonkatsu Different from Other Cutlets?īy the looks and sounds of it, Tonkatsu seems a lot like other popular fried cutlet dishes such as German schnitzel, Polish kotlet schabowy, and Italian piccata. One Tokyo restaurant called Rengatei 煉瓦亭 (still open today!) took this concept and made a few changes to appeal to the Japanese palette. Tonkatsu is said to be inspired by the French dish, côtelette de veau, which is essentially breaded veal cutlet pan-fried in butter. It wasn’t until a couple of decades later that pork would be substituted for beef, becoming the beloved food we enjoy today. When the recipe first appeared around the 1870s, the Japanese already considered it a Yoshoku meal (i.e., a Japanese dish inspired by Western cuisine). A Brief Historyīefore tonkatsu exploded in popularity as a pork dish in the early 20 th century, it was mainly made with beef. And no plate of tonkatsu is ever complete without a mound of freshly shredded cabbage and a healthy drizzle of tonkatsu sauce. Like many other popular foods in Japan (think ramen, tempura, soba, etc.), there are tonkatsu restaurants that exclusively serve this juicy pork cutlet as their specialty. The word Ton (豚) comes from “pork” and Katsu (カツ) is an abbreviation of Katsuretsu (カツレツ), derived from the English word “cutlet.” ![]() ![]() It should take no more than 30 minutes! What is Tonkatsu?įor those of you who are new to this Japanese dish, tonkatsu consists of tender pork loin (or fillet) that has been breaded and deep-fried to crunchy perfection. ![]() So, what makes Tonkatsu special, and how can we make this popular dish at home? Believe it or not, making Japanese pork cutlet at home is easier than you think. This Western-inspired dish has been enjoyed for over 120 years, with the recipe remaining mostly unchanged since then. We have a specialty in Japan known as Tonkatsu (とんかつ, 豚かつ) or deep-fried pork cutlet. Serve it with my tangy sesame dipping sauce and a refreshing shredded cabbage salad for a satisfying meal. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, this homemade Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet) is my family‘s favorite! I‘ll show you the secret to an airy breading that makes a light and supercrisp coating. ![]()
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