Name: Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 4 boneless pork chops (100–130 g each, 1 to 1.3 cm thick); 0.75 tsp fine salt (to season the meat); 0.25 tsp black pepper; 4 tbsp plain flour; 2 eggs; 1 tbsp neutral oil (stirred into the eggs); 100 g panko; 700 ml neutral oil for deep-frying (4 to 5 cm deep); 0.5 small white cabbage, very finely shredded; 2 small cucumbers, in fine strips; Japanese sesame dressing (for the cabbage salad); 8 tbsp tonkatsu sauce; 2 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted and lightly ground in a mortar (optional); 2 tbsp black sesame seeds, toasted and lightly ground in a mortar (optional)

Preparation

Trim off excess fat from the chops and snip through the connective tissue between meat and fat several times on both sides so the meat does not curl as it cooks. Flatten both sides with the back of a knife or a meat mallet, press back into shape and season with salt and pepper.
Shred the cabbage and cucumber finely and mix. Lightly grind the sesame seeds in a mortar, leaving a few whole, divide among small dishes and pour the tonkatsu sauce over. If you prefer, use the sauce plain.
Put the flour on a plate, whisk the eggs with the oil and put the panko on a third plate. Turn the chops first in the flour and shake off the excess, then pull through the egg and finally coat in the panko, pressing on lightly. Rest on a plate for 5 to 10 minutes so the coating holds.
Heat the oil in a pot to 170 °C. Add the chops one at a time and fry for 1 minute, leaving them untouched for the first 30 seconds, then turn and fry the second side for 1 minute. Stand on a rack or kitchen paper and rest for 4 minutes. Skim crumbs out of the oil in between.
Heat the oil to 180 °C and fry each chop once more for 30 seconds per side, then drain for 2 minutes. This keeps the coating crisp all round.
Cut crosswise into strips about 2 cm wide and serve with cabbage salad, dressing and the sesame dip.

Drink with it

Pale lager · excellent match
Japanese lager or Pils, ice cold
Fizz and delicate hop bitterness cut through the breading and frying fat, and the lean malt lets the fruity sauce stand out.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?
Junmai sake · excellent match
Junmai sake, at room temperature or lightly warmed
A round body and some acidity balance the breading and pork fat, and the sweetness of the rice suits the fruity-sweet sauce.
Junmai, Ginjo, Daiginjo: What do these mean for sake?
Mellow whisky · excellent match
Mild Japanese whisky as a highball with soda and plenty of ice
In Japan the highball is the classic companion to fried food: soda lifts the breading and pork fat, and the light grain sweetness of the whisky echoes the golden crust.
Whisky with food: cheese, chocolate, and savory dishes
White wine · good match
Dry Riesling or Grüner Veltliner
Crisp acidity and spice balance the pork fat and the sweet sauce.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing

Preparation

Trim off excess fat from the chops and snip through the connective tissue between meat and fat several times on both sides so the meat does not curl as it cooks. Flatten both sides with the back of a knife or a meat mallet, press back into shape and season with salt and pepper.
Shred the cabbage and cucumber finely and mix. Lightly grind the sesame seeds in a mortar, leaving a few whole, divide among small dishes and pour the tonkatsu sauce over. If you prefer, use the sauce plain.
Put the flour on a plate, whisk the eggs with the oil and put the panko on a third plate. Turn the chops first in the flour and shake off the excess, then pull through the egg and finally coat in the panko, pressing on lightly. Rest on a plate for 5 to 10 minutes so the coating holds.
Heat the oil in a pot to 170 °C. Add the chops one at a time and fry for 1 minute, leaving them untouched for the first 30 seconds, then turn and fry the second side for 1 minute. Stand on a rack or kitchen paper and rest for 4 minutes. Skim crumbs out of the oil in between.
Heat the oil to 180 °C and fry each chop once more for 30 seconds per side, then drain for 2 minutes. This keeps the coating crisp all round.
Cut crosswise into strips about 2 cm wide and serve with cabbage salad, dressing and the sesame dip.

Drink with it

Pale lager · excellent match
Japanese lager or Pils, ice cold
Fizz and delicate hop bitterness cut through the breading and frying fat, and the lean malt lets the fruity sauce stand out.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?
Junmai sake · excellent match
Junmai sake, at room temperature or lightly warmed
A round body and some acidity balance the breading and pork fat, and the sweetness of the rice suits the fruity-sweet sauce.
Junmai, Ginjo, Daiginjo: What do these mean for sake?
Mellow whisky · excellent match
Mild Japanese whisky as a highball with soda and plenty of ice
In Japan the highball is the classic companion to fried food: soda lifts the breading and pork fat, and the light grain sweetness of the whisky echoes the golden crust.
Whisky with food: cheese, chocolate, and savory dishes
White wine · good match
Dry Riesling or Grüner Veltliner
Crisp acidity and spice balance the pork fat and the sweet sauce.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing

Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet)

Preparation

Drink with it

Japanese lager or Pils, ice cold

Junmai sake, at room temperature or lightly warmed

Mild Japanese whisky as a highball with soda and plenty of ice

Dry Riesling or Grüner Veltliner

This pairs well too.

Chicken Teriyaki

Chicken Katsu Curry

Okonomiyaki (Japanese cabbage pancake)

Honey BBQ Chicken Wings

Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet)

Preparation

Drink with it

Japanese lager or Pils, ice cold

Junmai sake, at room temperature or lightly warmed

Mild Japanese whisky as a highball with soda and plenty of ice

Dry Riesling or Grüner Veltliner

This pairs well too.

Chicken Teriyaki

Chicken Katsu Curry

Okonomiyaki (Japanese cabbage pancake)

Honey BBQ Chicken Wings