COOKING WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS
Tonkatsu by Edwin Pawling

TONKATSU

What You’ll Need:

Large skillet
Meat pounder or mallet
Waxed paper
Candy thermometer

8 boneless thin (no more than ¼ inch) center-cut pork loin chops
Flour
Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)*
2 eggs
2 tablespoons
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
Vegetable oil
S & B Oriental hot mustard*
Bulldog tonkatsu sauce*
Shredded cabbage**

1. Place boneless pork chops between sheets of wax paper and pound with a meat pounder or mallet until they are as thin as you can get them without tearing.

2. Mix 2 to 3 tablespoons hot mustard with 2 to 3 tablespoons water to create a thick paste.

3. Pour approximately ¼ of oil in the skillet. Heat over medium to medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees measured by the candy thermometer.

4. Spread flour and panko separately on waxed paper for dredging. Beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons water and place in a shallow dish.

5. Dredge the pork in flour, then egg, and finally in panko. Fry in skillet, turning once, until the pork has a light golden crust. Do not crowd the pork in the pan. Rotate to pan over the heat as needed to brown evenly.

6. Drain the pork chops on paper towels. Then slice each one into thin slices.

Pour tonkatsu sauce and mustard into small dishes for each diner.

Serve the tonkatsu with white rice and shredded cabbage or Japanese pickles. Hijuki (seaweed salad) is also good with this. Beer or cold sake pair equally well with tonkatsu.

Serves 4

*Available at Asian markets or Amazon.com.

**Traditionally, tonkatsu is served with paper-thin shredded cabbage. If you have a mandolin or other hand-held slicer, shred approximately 4 cups of cabbage and place a cup of cabbage on each plate next to the tonkatsu.