Best Tonkatsu with Homemade Sauce (Japanese Pork Cutlet)
This beautifully golden and crispy Japanese Tonkatsu is made with tender pork coated with a thick layer of panko breadcrumbs and served with a tangy homemade sauce. Learn how to make the best tonkatsu ever with my tips and tricks!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 1 pinch light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 2 boneless pork chops (or loin/tenderloin - thick ones (2-2.5cm, 3/4-1 inch) work best)
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- cooking oil (for deep frying, I used rice bran oil)
- all-purpose flour (for dusting)
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp cooking oil
- 100 g panko breadcrumbs
- 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- 200 g green cabbage (shredded)
- 2 slices lemon (to garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Mix 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 1 pinch light brown sugar and 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds in a small bowl and set aside for later.
- 2
Preheat the oil to 170 °C (338 °F). While you wait, prepare the pork.
- 3
Take 2 boneless pork chops and make incisions in the fat and muscle (this improves texture and prevents curling). Rub 1 pinch salt and pepper onto both sides of the meat, then pound until about 2cm thick. (Approx 3/4 inch)
- 4
Set up a coating station with 3 containers. One with all-purpose flour, one with whisked 1 egg and one with 100 g panko breadcrumbs.Add 1 tbsp whole milk and 1 tsp cooking oil to the egg and whisk until combined.
- 5
Coat the pork with flour on both sides. Make sure to pat off the excess.
- 6
Transfer to the egg mixture and coat on both sides.
- 7
Next place it into the panko breadcrumbs. Make sure it’s fully covered and gently press the panko down to secure them.
- 8
Carefully place the coated pork chops into the oil and cook for about 4 minutes on each side (8 minutes total) or until golden brown. Once done, transfer to a wire rack to drain any excess oil.
- 9
Cut the tonkatsu into strips. Plate up next to the shredded cabbage, drizzle the sauce (or serve on the side) and garnish with lemon (optional).
- 10
Serve with rice, miso soup and pickles for the perfect teishoku set meal.