Tonkatsu is another one of my childhood favorites and my mom made it the best. I recreated her recipe, keeping it very simple with flour, eggs, and panko, and it tasted just like it did when I was growing up, wonderfully crisp on the outside with piping hot pieces of pork on the inside drizzled with my favorite tonkatsu sauce, the bulldog brand. It paired very well with the Korean Curry and the boyfriend and I enjoyed our homemade Korean feast.

Tonkatsu

Yields 3-4 servings

  • Canola oil
  • 1 lb pork loin cutlets
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • Shredded cabbage, for serving
  • Tonkatsu sauce, for serving

Heat 1/2-inch oil in a medium Dutch oven or in a medium saucepan to 300 degrees F.

Season the pork cutlets with salt and pepper, to taste.

Working one at a time, dredge the cutlet in the flour, dip into the eggs, then dredge in the panko crumbs, pressing to coat.

Working in batches, add the cutlets to the hot oil 2 or 3 at a time and fry until evenly golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; repeat to cook remaining cutlets.

Serve immediately on a bed of shredded cabbage with drizzled tonkatsu sauce. (Cutlets may be served at room temperature but you want them to remain crisp.)

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