Pork Katsu
There is a restaurant near us that makes incredible katsu dishes and we went through a phase where we would be eating there once a week. Unfortunately, they raised their prices and we started feeling like it wasn`t worth it anymore when we can make the same, if not a better version, at home. So, long story short, we created our own katsu recipe and yes, not only it is even more delicious, but it`s also at least 3 times cheaper.
The beautiful thing about katsu is that besides the fact that it`s a breaded, thin piece of meat with sauce and rice, you can change both the meat and the sauce to fulfill your cravings for each day. You can make a katsu with essentially any type of meat, but the most common ones are pork cutlets and chicken breast or thigh. As for the sauce, you can buy Bulldog brand katsu sauce from the grocery store or make it any style you want. Our favourites are curry-based sauces (like the butter chicken one from this recipe), and a seafood carbonara (which we’ll be posting a recipe for very soon).
For better results, you do need to deep fry it, but if you want a lighter option you can bake it, it just won`t be as crispy.
Start by making the sauce, or if you have store-bought butter chicken sauce, skip to the katsu part of the recipe.
In a food processor, blend 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger until it becomes a paste, – you can just chop the onion into very small pieces and grate both the ginger and garlic if you don`t have a food processor.
Puree a can of whole tomatoes, separate one cup and a half for this recipe.
In a ramekin or small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of cumin and 2 of coriander, 1 tablespoon of dry ginger, 1 of chili powder and 1 of turmeric.
In a medium pot, add a drizzle of oil and saute the onion mix on medium heat until translucent (about 3-4 minutes), make sure to stir so it doesn`t burn. Add half the spice mix and cook for another minute.
Add the reserved tomato puree, then ¼ - ½ cup of veggie or chicken broth with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 of black pepper. Turn the heat to low-medium, cover with a lid, and let it cook for about 40 minutes. Add a quarter cup of heavy cream and cook for another 5 minutes. Once ready, taste and adjust the flavours to your liking with the rest of the spice mix and more salt. We used all of the spice mix and about one teaspoon and a half more of salt. Keep warm and reserve.
Now for the katsu portion:
To butterfly a pork cutlet, you need either a very sharp knife or you can make it easier by having the cutlet still just a little bit frozen. Not frozen enough that you would need to push through the frozen meat, but just enough that it won`t wiggle as much if your knife is a bit dull. Begin by cutting the cutlet in half (split the width) to make it thinner, but don`t go all the way through.
On a cutting board, cover the cutlet with plastic wrap and carefully hit it with a kitchen mallet to make it thinner and bigger. It should almost double in size depending on the size of your cutlets. Be careful not to make holes in the cutlet.
In a large plate, mix three eggs with a dash of tabasco and Worcestershire (about 1/8 teaspoon each), 1 teaspoon of heavy cream and a couple drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
In another large plate, mix 1+ cup of flour with 2 teaspoons of salt and 2 of pepper.
In a third large plate, mix 1+ cup of breadcrumbs (panko preferred), with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 of pepper.
Work the cutlets one at a time. To bread them, start by placing the butterflied cutlet on the flour and pressing it on both sides to make sure it has a light layer of flour on all of its surface.
Next, dip the same cutlet in the egg mixture, making sure to wet all of the surface.
And finally, into the breadcrumb mixture, both sides.
Place them in a tray with parchment paper.
In a large non-teflon pot, heat up enough oil to submerge the whole cutlet. With a kitchen thermometer, regulate the temperature between 350-375F. Once this temperature is reached, place each breaded cutlet into the oil slowly and carefully. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, carefully flipping the cutlet after 2 minutes.
Once golden brown on the outside, check if the internal temperature of the pork is above 145F (165F for chicken) and place it on a crisping tray or a plate with paper towel to soak up the grease.
Your katsu is now ready to be enjoyed! Serve with rice, sauce and shredded cheese (optional).
Curry Pork Katsu
Servings: 4
Time: 1h30
Ingredients
For the Katsu:
4 Pork Cutlets
3 Eggs
1+ Cup Flour
1+ Cup Breadcrumbs, Panko preferred.
1/8 tsp Worcestershire
1/8 tsp Tabasco
1 tsp Heavy Cream
3 drops Lemon Juice
½ Cup Shredded Cheese (optional)
Salt
Pepper
2 Cups of Cooked Rice (to serve with)
For the Sauce:
1 Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp Fresh Ginger
2 Tbsp Ground Cumin
2 Tbsp Ground Coriander
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Turmeric
1 ½ Cup Tomato Puree
¼ - ½ Cup of Chicken or Veggie Broth
¼ Cup Heavy Cream
Salt
Pepper
Step by Step
1. In a food processor, puree onion, ginger, garlic and oil. Saute in a medium pot until translucent (3-4 minutes). Mix all the spices and add half the mix to the pot, cook for another minute.
2. Puree a can of whole tomatoes. Add 1 and a half cup of the puree to the pot, then the broth, salt and pepper. Bring it down to low heat, cover, and cook for about 40 minutes.
3. Add the heavy cream and cook for another 5 minutes. Keep it warm.
4. Butterfly the pork cutlets and use a kitchen mallet to make it even thinner.
5. Use three large plates. In one of them mix flour with 2 tsps of salt and pepper and one of them the breadcrumbs with a dash of salt and pepper as well. Lastly, the third plate should have the mixture with the eggs, tabasco, Worcestershire and cream.
6. Bread each one of the cutlets (flour, egg then breadcrumbs) and place them in parchment paper.
7. Heat up a large pot of oil to 350-375F. Fry each cutlet for about 3-4 minutes or until internal temperature is 145F and the outside is darkened.
8. Serve with cooked rice, the curry sauce and cheese (optional).
