Japanese · Free recipe
Tonkatsu with Shredded Cabbage
Panko-crusted pork cutlets fried until shatteringly crisp, sliced and served on a cloud of feather-light shredded cabbage with a tangy homemade katsu sauce. The ice-water cabbage trick keeps every bite fresh against the rich crust.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
Method
-
Plunge the shredded cabbage into a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes, then drain and spin completely dry; it turns crisp and sweet.
-
Whisk the ketchup, worcestershire, soy sauce and sugar together to make the katsu sauce.
-
Make a few shallow cuts through the fat edge of each chop so it does not curl, pound lightly to an even thickness, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
-
Dredge each chop in flour, dip in beaten egg, then press firmly into the panko so the crumbs coat every surface.
-
Heat the oil in a heavy pot to 340F. Fry the cutlets two at a time for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and the center reaches 145F.
-
Rest the cutlets on a wire rack for 3 minutes so the crust stays crisp, then slice into strips and serve over the cabbage with the sauce and lemon wedges.
Zest note from the test kitchen
Keep the oil at a steady 340F rather than hotter; a slightly lower temperature cooks the pork through before the panko over-browns.
