Tonkatsu pork Recipe
- 125g/4½oz tomato ketchup (you can get Japanese ketchup, but any brand will do)
- 75ml/2½fl oz sake
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (Japanese is available if you can get it)
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 tsp finely grated fresh root ginger
- 1 tsp Japanese mustard or Dijon (Japanese mustard tastes like a mixture of Dijon and English mustard)
- 2 tsp mirin (or more to taste)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 2 free-range eggs, beaten
- 75g/2½oz Japanese panko breadcrumbs
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 4 thick pork loin steaks
- vegetable or groundnut oil, for frying
- ½ Chinese cabbage, shredded
- spring onions, finely sliced
- For the sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for five minutes, or until the garlic and ginger are soft. You want the sauce to reach a good pouring consistency.
- Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a small bowl. It will be served at room temperature (so do not place in the fridge). Set to one side until ready to use
- For the pork, place the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs in three individual dishes. Season the flour well with salt and pepper.
- Coat each steak by first dipping into the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Re-dip each steak into the egg and breadcrumbs again – this creates an extra crisp coating.
- Heat up a non-stick frying pan and pour the oil in for frying.
- Shallow fry the cutlets on a medium heat until golden-brown on both sides and cooked all the way through – be careful when turning the cutlets to avoid splashing the hot fat.
- Serve the pork with the tonkatsu sauce and raw the finely shredded Chinese cabbage and sliced spring onions.
