Tonkatsu

Ingredients

• 4 pieces pork loin chops, 2 cm thick
• 200 g panko breadcrumbs
• 100 g plain flour
• 2 pieces eggs
• 300 g white cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 l neutral oil, for frying
• 4 tbsp tonkatsu sauce
• 1 tsp Japanese mustard
• 1 tsp salt

Steps

1. 1
   Snip through the band of fat and sinew around each chop at 2 cm intervals so it does not curl in the pan.
2. 2
   Beat the pork lightly to an even thickness and season both sides.
3. 3
   Shred the cabbage as finely as you can and keep it in iced water — it should be almost hair-thin and very cold.
4. 4
   Coat each chop in flour, then beaten egg, then panko, pressing the crumbs on lightly. Do not compact them; the air between crumbs is what makes tonkatsu shatter.
5. 5
   Heat the oil to 170C and fry two cutlets at a time for 6-7 minutes, turning once.
6. 6
   Raise the oil to 190C for the final 30 seconds to deepen the colour and drive out oil.
7. 7
   Drain upright on a rack for 3 minutes, never flat on paper.
8. 8
   Slice into 2 cm strips, keeping the shape, and serve with the drained cabbage, sauce and mustard.