BAKED TONKATSU - JAPANESE PORK DISH

Baked Tonkatsu - Japanese Pork Dish image

This recipe has been posted here for play in Culinary Quest - Japan. Recipe found at website: justonecookbook.com Recipe is by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. Tonkatsu (????) or Japanese pork cutlet is a delicious and popular dish, that has a lovely crispy panko texture. The key to achieving crispy and golden brown panko...

Provided by Baby Kato

Categories Pork

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 9

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Ingredients

3/4 cup panko (japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 pieces pork loin (1/2 lb ,226 g), ½ inch (1.2 cm) thickness
1 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 large egg
tonkatsu sauce
1 tbsp. black and/or white sesame seeds

Steps:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the panko and oil in a frying pan and toast over medium heat until golden brown. Transfer panko into a shallow dish and allow to cool.
3. Get rid of the extra fat and make a couple of slits on the copnnective tissue between the meat and fat. The reason why you do this is that red meat and fat have different elasticity, and when they are cooked they will shrink and expand at different rates. This will allow Tonkatus to stay nice and flat and prevent Tonkatsu from curling up.
4. Pound the meat with a meat pounder, or if you don't have one then just use the back of knife to pound. Mold the extended meat back into original shape with your hands.
5. Sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Dredge each pork piece in the flour to coat completely and pat off the excess flour. Then dip into the beaten egg and finally coat with the toasted panko. Press on the panko flakes to make sure they adhere to the pork.
7. Place the pork on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the pork is no longer pink inside, about 20 minutes.
8. Cut Tonkatsu into 1 inch pieces (so you can eat with chopsticks) by pressing the knife directly down instead of moving back and forth. This way the panko will not come off. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.
9. To make special sesame tonkatsu sauce, grind black and white sesame seeds in a mortor and add tonkatsu sauce. Mix all together.