Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu emerged in the late 19th century, during the Meiji era, when Japan began adopting Western culinary techniques, adapting the European breaded cutlet — like the Wiener schnitzel — to local ingredients and habits. The restaurant that gave it its current form replaced the lightly oiled pan used for European cutlets with deep-oil frying, a technique already familiar from tempura cooking, producing a much thicker, crunchier crust. Around the same time, the dish shifted from being eaten with a fork and knife to being sliced in the kitchen and eaten with chopsticks, like traditional Japanese dishes. What separates a successful tonkatsu from a mediocre one comes down to a few technical details: panko breadcrumbs, with their large, airy flakes, absorb less oil than fine European breadcrumbs and stay crunchy longer; scoring the fat edge prevents the cutlet from curling into a bulge on contact with the hot oil; and moderate frying temperature, not very high, lets the meat cook through completely before the crust burns.
Panko breadcrumbs, large and airy flakes
Gives a much thicker, crunchier crust than regular breadcrumbs
Cutlet lightly pounded and scored at the edge
Cooks evenly and doesn't curl into a bulge while frying
Fried at medium heat, not very high
The inside gets time to cook through before the crust burns
Sliced into strips before serving
Eaten with chopsticks, no knife needed at the table
Ingredients 4 servings
- 4 boneless pork loin cutlets (150g each)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 60g flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 150g panko breadcrumbs
- Oil for frying (3-4cm depth)
- 1/4 white cabbage, finely shredded
- Tonkatsu sauce, to serve
How to make it
- 1PREPARE THE CUTLETS: lightly pound the cutlets with the flat side of a meat mallet until slightly thinner, then score the fat edge in 2-3 spots so they don't curl while frying.
- 2SEASON: sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
- 3BREAD THEM: dredge each cutlet in flour, shaking off the excess, then in the beaten egg, then press firmly into the panko breadcrumbs so a thick, even layer sticks.
- 4HEAT THE OIL: pour oil into a deep pan to about 3-4cm and heat to 170-175°C — test with a pinch of panko, which should sizzle immediately.
- 5FRY: fry the cutlets 4-5 minutes per side, turning only once, until the crust is deep golden and the meat is fully cooked.
- 6DRAIN AND REST: transfer to paper towels and let rest 2-3 minutes before cutting, so the juices redistribute.
- 7SLICE AND SERVE: cut each cutlet into 1.5-2cm strips, serve over the shredded cabbage, with tonkatsu sauce on top or on the side.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
