A tasty and easy Pork Tonkatsu recipe.

Trivia. Did you know that ton means pork and katsu means cutlet? So it’s actually redundant if you say pork tonkatsu. But I’m not gonna argue with my waiter when the menu says Pork Tonkatsu haha. My online Japanese OFW friend was explaining to me that she found it a bit funny when she saw chicken tonkatsu listed in one of our local restaurants. She’s not a snob mind you, her mind just couldn’t process the misdirect.

I first got a taste of Tonkatsu in college. I didn’t associate it with Japanese food then. Well, it was pork chop and breaded with flour and breadcrumbs then deep fried until crispy. It’s literally a kids dream. Then, as in now, I associated Japanese with healthy. Pork Tonkatsu is a bit of an aberration.

There are a few nice Japanese restaurants in Metro Manila that serves these excellent pork cutlets but they’re quite pricey. The good thing is, making pork tonkatsu is actually very easy. Most of the ingredients are available in our local supermarkets.

Here’s a quick and tasty pork tonkatsu recipe -okay, just tonkatsu. :)

Tonkatsu Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 kilo boneless pork chops
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs (make sure it’s Panko or Panko style bread crumbs)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup Maya all-purpose flour
• 1 Magic Sarap Sachet (optional)
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup cooking oil
• Salt and pepper
• Tonkatsu sauce (can be bought in most major supermarket)

Instructions

1. Rub some salt, pepper, and Magic Sarap on the pork chops. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
2. Coat the boneless pork chops with flour and then dip in the beaten egg mixture.Coat the pork chop with the Panko bread crumbs. Make sure that all sides are completely coated.
3. Put in the refrigerator and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. (I find that this step makes it crispier).
4. Heat the cooking oil in a frying pan.
5. Fry one side of the Tonkatsu in low to medium heat until the color turns golden brown (about 6 to 9 minutes)and them flip to cook the other side. Watch your fire so it does not burn.
6. Arrange in a serving plate with shredded cabbage and Tonkatsu sauce.
7. Serve. Share and enjoy!

Notes:

You can use this recipe for other Katsu recipes like katsudon, katsu curry, or katsu sandwich!