Most of the time when we eat in Japanese restaurants, we opt for salmon avocado sushi or feta pineapple sushi rolls, but if we’re not in the mood for sushi, we’d buy the tonkatsu bento box.

It seems very easy to cook and prepare at home but if you’re not using Japanese products like the Tonkatsu sauce and panko bread, your homemade tonkatsu won’t end up like the ones you’re eating at the Japanese restaurants. You want to make this as authentic as possible. Otherwise, you’re just making a simple breaded pork chop at home.

Tonkatsu (Pork cutlet), is a Japanese dish of breaded pork chops, deep fried until it’s nice golden brown. Traditionally in Japan, tonkatsu is served with tonkatsu sauce, which you can purchase from the International section of the nearest grocery or supermarket, and of course at the Asian grocery stores. It is also partnered with thinly shredded cabbage.

Your meal won’t be complete without the savory tonkatsu sauce, which gives it the taste of an “real” Japanese tonkatsu meal. It is available in a bottle and could be found again in your local stores. The most popular brand is the Bull Dog Tonkatsu Sauce and that’s what I used for this recipe. We also had pre-made miso soup to go with our meal.

INGREDIENTS:

6 pork chops (boneless)
2 large egg (beaten)
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup all purpose flour (for breading)
2 cup canola (oil, for frying)
1/4 head cabbage (shredded)
1/4 cup carrots (shredded)
roasted sesame seeds
Tonkatsu sauce, bottled

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper.

2. Set up 3 bowls; First bowl for 1 cup all purpose flour, second bowl for 2 large eggs and the last bowl for the Panko bread crumbs.

3. Coat each pork chop with flour, shake the excess off.

4. Next, dip the pork chops in the beaten eggs.

5. Then, coat the pork chops with panko bread crumbs. Set aside on the counter until you coated all the pork chops.

6. Heat the oil in a pan (medium to high heat) and deep fry the breaded pork chops for about 5 minutes on each side or until brown and cooked through.

7. Remove the pork from the oil and drain the pork on paper towels.

8. Shred the cabbage, soak in ice water to make it crispy and drain it well. Put shredded carrots and sesame seeds on top.

9. Cut the pork lengthwise or leave it as is. Set the plate with the pork, white steamed rice and shredded cabbage.

10. Drizzle tonkatsu sauce on top of the pork as you please.

11. Serve and enjoy with family and friends!

Original Recipe