Japanese Pork Cutlet (Tonkatsu). Tonkatsu, or pork cutlet, is a Japanese dish of pork filet that is breaded with panko breadcrumbs and deep fried. It is traditionally served with a dark savory tonkatsu sauce and shredded green cabbage. Pork tonkatsu is often found on the menus of Japanese restaurants and is also a very popular bento (boxed lunch) item.

When tonkatsu was first served at Renga-tei, it was accompanied by shredded cabbage. Coat with flour, then dip into egg, and finally coat thoroughly with Panko. Tonkatsu, or Japanese-style fried pork cutlets, depend on an exceptionally coarse panko bread crumb dredge to achieve their signature crisp. You can have Japanese Pork Cutlet (Tonkatsu) using 6 ingredients and 8 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

Ingredients of Japanese Pork Cutlet (Tonkatsu)

Prepare 2 of pork fillets.
You need to taste of salt n black pepper.
Prepare of to shift all-purpose flour.
Prepare 1 of beaten egg.
Prepare of Panko (bread crumble) for coating.
You need of vegetable oil for frying.

Tonkatsu or Japanese style breaded pork cutlet is one of my family's favorite dishes to order whenever we go to any Japanese restaurant. It is one of those dishes that my family loves so much, I had to recreate it at home. Boneless loin chops are normally use in Tonkatsu but in this recipe, I used bone-in chops that were sliced thinly. The cutlet can be fillet or loin but certainly not the Western pork chop cut with bone.

Japanese Pork Cutlet (Tonkatsu) step by step

Make small cuts in several places of the pork fillets with a tip of a knife. This process keeps their shape when deep frying. Use a meat hammer or the back of your knife to pound the meat on both sides. Sprinkle the salt and the black pepper..
Beat the egg in a bowl. Prepare a generous amount of Panko in another bowl..
Shift the all-purpose flour to the fillets of both sides as thin as you can. Remove the excess flour..
Hold the fillet with your left hand. Dip the pork fillet in the beaten egg..
Coat the pork fillet with Panko with your right hand. Remove the excess Panko..
Repeat the process 3 - 6. Let the pork fillets rest for 10 minutes..
Heat the vegetable oil up to 160 - 170ºC. Then deep-fry the pork fillets in the fryer until they become light golden-brown..
Deep-fry the pork fillets again at 180ºC until they become golden-brown..

I am partial to fillet cut from the shoulder — a little marbled fat makes tonkatsu more moist inside. You can have the cutlets prepared by the butcher or you can get a slab of pork and cut it at home. Tonkatsu is good by itself, but Tonkatsu sauce completes this dish. The sauce is a Worcester-based sauce but much thicker. The best homemade Japanese deep fried pork cutlet (tonkatsu recipe) ever.