Whenever we think of quality katsu that's reasonably priced, if isn't Saboten, Yabu's Rosu Katsu comes on top of the list. Its golden crispy exterior plus thick and juicy meat makes us forget its opposing dry and tasteless reputation—plus the overall immersive dining experience makes this specialty a tough one to beat in the local Japanese resto scene.
But to save you from the long lines, we're brining the lord of the katsus straight to your kitchen. This recipe hack will highlight the most crucial part of the dish: the meat. A carefully-pounded, thick cut of pork loin is what you'll need to hack this successfully.
Ingredients
Tonkatsu
- 160g boneless pork loin, about 1.5 inches thick
- fresh or dry panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- salt and pepper, to taste
- all-purpose flour
- neutral oil, for frying
- Bulldog tonkatsu sauce
Salad
- cabbage
- bottled sesame or ponzu dressing
Prepare the Salad: Shred cabbage with a regular vegetable peeler. Dress it with either ponzu or sesame.
Prepare the Katsu
Defrost the pork thoroughly. Once completely defrosted, cover with plastic wrap.
While covered, pound the pork with moderate intensity using the rough side of a meat mallet until it’s about ¾ inches thick.
After pounding, dispose of plastic and dry pork thoroughly with paper towels.
Season with salt and pepper. Dredge the pounded pork in flour, then eggs.
Coat liberally with fresh bread crumbs. Make sure to cover all corners.
Prepare the pan and heat frying oil to medium temperature or 325°F.
Deep-fry the pork for around 7 minutes while moderately flipping to cover both sides.
Carefully lift the pork from the pan and set it aside on a strainer for 2 minutes.
Slice tonkatsu into 6 to 8 cuts depending on your preferred thickness.
Top with tonkatsu sauce. Serve with salad, miso soup and steamed rice.
