Tonkatsu
[Photo credit: Alex Paternostro]
by Seth Paternostro
October 12, 2021
When I was last in Beijing, I looked forward every Sunday to eating at Saboten, a Japanese chain with multiple locations in the city. I could think of no better way to spend three hours those days than eating the same set-plate of deep-fried pork, alone, in the corner of the restaurant, with headphones in. What a great time!
Aside from the all-you-can-eat rice and iceberg lettuce, Oinks was the star of the show. Crisp and coated in panko, Saboten’s tonkatsu was always a treat.
Make my take on this comforting classic, and you, too, will feel full and ready for a nap before work.
Serves 4
Total time
45 minutes
Equipment:
cutting board, chef’s knife or cleaver, cast-iron skillet, digital thermometer, shallow mixing bowls, grease gutter (small saucepan), measuring cups and spoons, large mixing bowl, fine mesh skimmer, kitchen tongs, chopsticks, wire drying rack
Tableware:
plates and utensils
Ingredients
1 lb pork tenderloin
1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed
1 cup panko bread crumbs, or as needed
2 large eggs
½ tsp rice vinegar
½ tsp soy sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic
1-inch ginger
1 scallion white
1 whole scallion
3 tbsps peanut oil, plus as needed
Black pepper, as needed
Fine sea salt, as needed
Instructions
Set out all equipment, tableware, and ingredients.
Peel, and crush the garlic and ginger. Smash the scallion whites.
Heat 3 tbsps peanut oil in the same sauté pan over medium-low heat.
Add 1 of each of the aromatics to the oil. Sizzle until the garlic just starts turning golden, then take off the heat. Let cool, and remove the garlic, ginger, and scallion.
Slice the pork tenderloin ½-inch thick, then pound out to ¼-inch.
Pour the flavored oil over the pork with 1 tsp salt in a mixing bowl to marinate.
Pour about 1 inch of oil in the cast iron skillet. Heat over medium-high to 375°F. Turn down the heat if the oil begins smoking.
Place the wire drying rack with fine sea salt nearby.
In one small bowl, mix the flour with ¼ tsp black pepper and a pinch of salt.
In another bowl, whisk the egg with ¼ tsp black pepper, a pinch of salt, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.
In a third bowl, mix the panko bread crumbs with a pinch of salt.
Working in batches if needed, coat each piece of pork in the seasoned flour, the egg mixture, and the panko bread crumbs.
Gently place the cutlets in the hot oil, taking care not to overcrowd them.
Baste the pork with the oil, and gently keep them apart. When the bottoms are golden, flip, and continue basting and moving them around to color evenly.
When the pork is fully golden brown and crisp, remove to the drying rack. Immediately salt.
If frying in batches, use the fine mesh skimmer to keep the oil clean of any excess flour and bread crumbs.
Transfer to serving plates, and enjoy with rice and green onions.
NUTRITION FACTS:
Calories 517 Total Fat 18.9g (24%) Saturated Fat 4.3g (22%) Cholesterol 176mg (59%) Sodium 336mg (15%) Total Carbohydrate 44.2g (16%) Dietary Fiber 2.2g (8%) Total Sugars 2g Protein 39.8g Vitamin D 9mcg (44%) Calcium 77mg (6%) Iron 5mg (26%) Potassium 613mg (13%) - Note: Please read our Nutrition Disclaimer.
Seth Paternostro is a writer and recipe developer based in Chicago. He is a co-founder of Our American Cuisine and graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. in East Asian Studies. You can learn more about him here.
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