About the Recipe
Now served in Japanese restaurants worldwide, tonkatsu is not, in fact, a Japanese original. The breaded pork cutlet was introduced to Japan after the end of the Second World War ("Katsu" is the Japanese pronunciation for "cutlet".) Back in the 1950s and 60s , tonkatsu was an expensive pay day treat for most Japanese. (I can remember my father returning from work with a family feast of tonkatsu cradled lovingly in his arm) Today, tonkatsu still occupies a special place with hundreds if not thousands of specialty tonkatsu restaurants stretching the length and breadth of the land. In Japan, tonkatsu isn't tonkatsu without a pile of shredded cabbage on the plate (although I usually serve mine with a mixed salad) and brown sauce and ketchup on the table. Served with a bowl of rice and miso soup, it makes for a feast of a lunch and is equally good as an evening meal.
Ingredients
4 boneless pork loins
80g plain flour
2 small eggs
100g panko
salt & pepper
oil for deep frying
Preparation
season the pork loins with the salt & pepper
score the rind and flesh of the pork with a sharp knife (this will stop the pork cutlet curling when you deep fry)
coat the pork lightly in the flour
beat the eggs lightly
coat each loin in the egg and then in the panko
fill a medium saucepan 1/3 full with oil and heat to 170 - 180 C / 350F
deep fry the pork for about 6 mins until golden, turning once
serve with a green salad, mustard and brown sauce.