The dish to eat in Tokyo · Japan

Tonkatsu

Name: Tonkatsu with shredded cabbage
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: 4 boneless pork loin chops with a fat cap, 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick (about 7 oz / 200 g each); 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp white pepper; 1/2 cup (65 g) flour; 2 eggs beaten with 1 tbsp water; 3 cups (180 g) fresh or coarse Japanese panko; About 6 cups (1.5 l) neutral oil (or half lard, for the Tokyo flavor), for frying; 1/2 head green cabbage, cored; For tonkatsu sauce: 1/4 cup (60 ml) Worcestershire sauce, 3 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp soy sauce (or use Bull-Dog sauce); To serve: hot Japanese mustard (karashi), lemon wedges, steamed rice, miso soup, toasted sesame seeds

Photo: HighSpirits74, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source

A thick pork cutlet in light panko, deep-fried until crisp and juicy, with shredded cabbage, rice, miso soup and tonkatsu sauce.

Tokyo turned the European cutlet into a craft: specialist shops that do nothing else, frying thick, heritage pork in clean lard to a pale gold.

Where to eat it Cook it at home

Where to eat it: the best three in Tokyo

Tonki
Meguro
Order: Rosu katsu (loin) set at the counter
Since 1939, an open kitchen where a team of cooks fries in silent choreography.
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Butagumi
Nishi-Azabu
Order: Choose a pork breed from the menu and try both loin and fillet
A wooden house that offers dozens of Japanese pork breeds, like a wine list.
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Narikura
Takadanobaba
Order: Tokujo rosu katsu, cooked pink inside
A tiny, top-rated counter that fries at low heat for a pale crust and juicy meat.
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All three are on Chef Amazing’s list The best tonkatsu in Tokyo, which you can save and take with you.

Cook it at home: Tonkatsu with shredded cabbage

Serves 4Time 45 min

Thick pork loin with its fat, a light coat of fresh panko, and two-stage frying: low to cook through, then a short rest, then hot to crisp. The cabbage is shredded paper-thin and served ice-cold.

Pans and tools

Heavy pot and deep-fry thermometer
Wire rack
Mandoline or sharp knife
Three shallow dishes

You’ll need

4 boneless pork loin chops with a fat cap, 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick (about 7 oz / 200 g each)
1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup (65 g) flour
2 eggs beaten with 1 tbsp water
3 cups (180 g) fresh or coarse Japanese panko
About 6 cups (1.5 l) neutral oil (or half lard, for the Tokyo flavor), for frying
1/2 head green cabbage, cored
For tonkatsu sauce: 1/4 cup (60 ml) Worcestershire sauce, 3 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp soy sauce (or use Bull-Dog sauce)
To serve: hot Japanese mustard (karashi), lemon wedges, steamed rice, miso soup, toasted sesame seeds

Steps

Shred the cabbage as thinly as you can (a mandoline helps) and soak in ice water 10 minutes. Drain well and keep cold.
Mix the sauce ingredients.
Make a few short cuts through the fat and the connective tissue between the fat and meat on each chop, so it stays flat. Pound lightly with the back of a knife and reshape. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Dredge each chop in flour and pat off the excess, dip in egg, then lay in the panko and press gently to coat all over. Rest on a rack 5 minutes.
Heat the oil to 320F (160C) in a heavy pot. Fry 2 cutlets at a time for 4 minutes, turning once, until pale golden. Lift onto a rack and rest 4 minutes; the inside keeps cooking.
Raise the oil to 350F (175C). Fry the cutlets again 1 minute until deep golden and crisp. The center should reach 140 to 145F (60 to 63C).
Drain 1 minute, standing on edge on the rack. Slice into 1-inch strips with a sharp knife, cutting straight down.
Serve with a mound of cabbage, rice, miso soup, the sauce (mixed with ground sesame at the table if you like), mustard and lemon.

Chef’s tips

Heritage pork (Berkshire or kurobuta) makes a real difference here.

Fresh panko (nama panko) from Japanese markets gives the spiky Tokyo crust.

Leftover katsu makes katsu sando: soft white bread, sauce and cabbage.

Contains: Wheat, egg, soy, sesame.

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