Japanese Recipes for Healthy Living

Who doesn’t love this dish? This may not look like a typical Japanese food, but this dish is one of the most popular Japanese food, and there are so many restaurants that spcialize in Tonkatsu (Pork Cutlet) in Japan.

Tonkatsu consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet one centimeter(0.4 inch) thick. Either a pork fillet or pork loin cut may be used. The meat is usually salted, peppered and dipped in flour, beaten egg then panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) before being deep fried. If you don’t like pork, you can also use chicken breast or chicken tenderloin ( in that case, it’s called “Chicken Katsu”). My version of Tonkatsu is pretty much a typical tonkatsu recipe, but when I season the meat with salt and pepper, I also sprinkle some garlic powder. I believe that makes a difference for the better.

<Ingredients>
Pork tenderloin 1lb

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
olive oil for frying

<How to Prepare>
1. Cut the pork tenderloin 1/2 to 1/3 inch think, then pound it with the back of the knife. (don’t pound too much…)
2. Sprinkle salt and pepper and garlic powder on both sides of the meat.
3. Dredge it into flour lightly, then dip it in beaten egg, then put panko on the pork and pat them well.

4. Heat a skillet and add about 1/8 inch deep olive oil. Fry the pork in 330F oil for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip the pork and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Take out the pork and put them on a paper towel to drain the oil.
6. Serve it with Tonkatsu sauce (you can find it at Asian grocery stores). If you don’t have it, mix worcester sauce and kechup. You may like it with A1 sauce.

The green stuff in the picture on top is sauteed spinach. Heat a thin layer of olive oil, add sliced garlic and fry it, then add spinach. Season with salt and pepper, and done!