← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 2 boneless pork loin chops (about 150 g each, 1.5 cm thick)
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper
• 2 tbsp Plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 egg, beaten, for coating
• 50 g Panko breadcrumbs
• 750 ml neutral oil, for deep-frying
• 240 ml Dashi powder or stock
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Mirin
• 2 tsp Sugar
• ½ Onion, thinly sliced
• 3 large eggs, for the topping
• 1 Spring onion, finely sliced
• 220 g Japanese short-grain rice, cooked, kept hot

Method

1. Snip through the strip of connective tissue along the fat edge of each chop so it stays flat, then season with salt and pepper. Coat in flour, dip in the beaten egg and press firmly into the panko.
2. Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pan to 170°C (340°F). Fry the cutlets for 5–6 min, turning once or twice, until deep golden and 63°C (145°F) in the middle. Drain on a rack, then cut into 2 cm strips.
3. Make one bowl at a time in a small frying pan (about 20 cm). Add half the dashi, soy, mirin and sugar plus half the onion and simmer over medium heat for 3–4 min, until the onion is soft.
4. Lay one sliced cutlet on the onion. Lightly beat 1½ eggs, just breaking up the yolks, and pour them around the cutlet rather than over the crust.
5. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute, until the egg is just set at the edges but still soft and glossy in the centre.
6. Slide everything over a bowl of hot rice with the sauce and scatter with spring onion. Repeat for the second bowl.

Tips

• Leftover or shop-bought tonkatsu works well: crisp it in a hot oven for a few minutes before simmering.
• Contains wheat, egg and soy. The egg stays soft and runny; cook it a minute longer if you prefer it firm.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook Japanese Cooking 101 RecipeTin Japan