In the Kitchen… Tonkatsu Pork
Enjoy a taste of Japan with this easy to make yet very tasty pork dish.
Preparation time: 15-20 mins
Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp flour
75g panko breadcrumbs
4 thick pork loin steaks
Oil for frying (sunflower or ground nut)
½ Chinese cabbage, finely shredded
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the Tonkatsu sauce
125g tomato ketchup
75ml sake or rice wine (dry sherry makes a good substitute)
2tbsp Worcester sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 clove of garlic, finely grated
1tsp finely grated fresh root ginger
1 tsp Japanese mustard (Dijon makes a good substitute)
1tbsp mirin
1tbsp sugar
Method
The Sauce
Place all the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and stir well. Heat until simmering and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes or until the garlic and ginger are soft and the sauce has a good pouring consistency. When its ready strain it through a fine sieve and allow to cool to room temperature.
The Pork
You’ll need four plates. Pour the flour (seasoned with salt and pepper) on to the first; pour the beaten eggs on to the second and the breadcrumbs on to the third. NOTE – Panko breadcrumbs are crisper than normal breadcrumbs. The recipe will work with normal breadcrumbs, but you might prefer to use finely crushed cornflakes or crackers.
Coat each pork loin generously in the seasoned flour, then dip it into the beaten egg so its covered, then finally coat each loin steak in breadcrumbs. Transfer them all to the fourth plate.
Pour enough oil into a frying pan to shallow fry the pork steaks and allow the pan to heat up over a moderate heat. When hot enough add the steaks and fry until golden on each side (4-5 minutes per side). Don’t overcrowd the pan as this will cause the steaks to steam and the breadcrumbs will become soggy.
Place the cooked steaks on a plate and cut into thick slices. Drizzle the Tonkatsu sauce over the steaks and serve with some shredded cabbage and Japanese pickles.
