Tonkatsu- Japanese Style Pork Cutlets (日式吉列豬扒):

Tonkatsu - Japanese Style Pork Cutlets (日式吉列豬扒) is one of my family’s favorite savory dish.  We used to order it a lot when we dine out.  The key word here is “used to”!  After trying my recipe at home, you can enjoy this dish at home whenever you feel like it! Why order out when you can make it tastier at home, right?



Tonkatsu is a pork cutlet that’s breaded with Japanese breadcrumbs (Panko) and deep-fried to golden brown perfection.  It’s quite irresistible because the flavor is wonderful.  The crust is super crispy and the pork chop inside is tender and juicy.  Instead of deep-frying the cutlets, I usually opt for a shallow fry as a healthier version.  If you haven’t watch my video tutorial, be sure to check it out because I’ll show you the tips and tricks on creating this amazingly crispy crust that stays put during the frying process.



To keep the pork chops juicy and tender, I used a half brining and half marinating method.  It’s important to let the pork chops to marinate overnight.  That way, they have a chance to absorb the moisture and flavors from the marinate.  You’ll be amazed by how juicy and tender your pork chops turn out!  Give this a try and you won’t be disappointed!  The list of ingredients for the marinate may seems quite long, but they are all pretty basic pantry ingredients for Asian cooking.  I’ll list the link of the products that I used at the end of the post for your reference.



I hope you enjoy today’s video and recipe.  Give it a try soon, I’m sure you and your family will love this dish as much as my family does!  Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful week!




Ingredients and Tools used: 

Homemade Orange Marmalade:
https://goo.gl/lRjIraTonkatsu Sauce (Click here for more information)
Light Soy Sauce (Click here for more information)

ShaoXing Cooking Wine (Click here for more information)
Sesame Oil (Click here for more information)
Grapeseed Oil (Click here for more information)
Chicken bouillon powder  (Click here for more information)
White pepper powder (Click here for more information)
Corn starch (Click here for more information)
Zojirushi Rice Cooker (Click here for more information)

Cooling Racks (Click here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click here for more information)
Chicken Broth (Click here for more information)
White Pepper Powder (Click here for more information)
Japanese Panko Bread Crumbs (Click here for more information)
Heavy Duty Copper Pan (Click here for more information)

 

Tonkatsu- Japanese Style Pork Cutlets (日式吉列豬扒):
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredient for the Marinade:
4 (1-inch thick) pork loin chops
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ShaoXing wine
3 to 4 slices of fresh ginger root
2 cloves of garlic, smashed

Ingredients for the Tonkatsu Sauce:
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup Tonkatsu sauce

Ingredients for the Pork Cutlets:
¼ cup corn starch
3 large eggs
1 cup Japanese Panko Bread Crumbs
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying, divided

To Prepare the Marinade:
In a measuring cup, mix chicken broth, blackberry preserves, chicken powder, sugar, salt, white pepper, sesame oil, garlic powder, soy sauce, and ShaoXing together until incorporated. Place pork chops in a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade/brine into the bag.

Gently press the bag to remove excess air and seal it. Place the bag into a large bowl and refrigerate overnight.

To prepare the Tonkatsu Sauce:
Place sesame seeds in a mortar and slight grind with the pestle. Place in small sauce bowl and stir in store bought Tonkatsu sauce.

To Prepare the Pork Cutlets:Next day, take the pork chop out on the counter 1 hour before cooking. Thus, take the chills off the pork chops so that they cook more evenly.

When ready to cook, take the pork chops out from the marinade and gently pat dry on clean kitchen paper towels.

Prepare a breading station. Place corn starch, salt and pepper in 1 shallow dish, whisk well.

In a second shallow dish, slightly beat the eggs. And in the third shallow dish, place the Japanese Bread Crumbs in it.

Slightly dust the pork cutlets in the corn starch mixture and shake off any excess.

Then, dip the pork cutlets in the beaten egg and let it drip off any excess. Next, transfer the pork chops into the bowl with the Panko bread crumbs. Gently press the bread crumbs onto the surface of the pork chops.

Dip the pork chops one more time with the beaten eggs and panko. Place breaded pork chops on a clean plate.

In a heavy-duty sauté pan, add about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium low heat. Shallow fry the pork chops for 4 to 5 minutes on one side. Flip them once and cook the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes or until cooked through and outside is golden brown.

Cut into ½-inch pieces, serve with shredded cabbage, Tonkatsu sauce, and steamed rice.