Ingredients for 4 servings

Tonkatsu
Pork loin (豚ロース肉 / Buta rōsu niku) 100 g×4
Salt and pepper (塩こしょう / Shio koshō) To taste

Cheese Pork Rolls
Sliced pork roast (豚ローススライス / Buta rōsu suraisu) 4 slices
(Meat used for making shōga-yaki (ginger fried pork))
Green shiso (大葉 / Ōba) 8 leaves
Sliced cheese (スライスチーズ / Suraisu chēzu) ４ slices
Salt and pepper (塩こしょう / Shio koshō) Pinch
Soft flour (薄力粉 / Hakurikiko) 100 g
Eggs (卵 / Tamago) 2
Soft bread crumbs (生パン粉 / Nama panko) 4 cups (160 g or so)
Oil for frying (揚げ油 / Ageh abura) 0.8~1L

Tonkatsu Sauce
Ground white sesame (白すりごま / Shiro suri goma) 30 g
Soy sauce (醤油 / Shōyu) 3 tbsp
Worcestershire sauce (ウスターソース / Usutāhsōsu) 2 tbsp
Ketchup (ケチャップ / Kechappu) 60 g
Cane sugar (きび砂糖 / Kibizatōh) 3 tbsp

Sides
Cabbage (キャベツ / Kyabetsu) 200 g
Tomato (トマト / Tomahto) 1
Lemon (レモン / Remon) 1/2
Mustard paste (練りがらし / Nerikarashi) Pinch

How to Make
1. Take a pork cutlet, lay it flat on a cutting board, locate the line where the layer of fat meets the red meat, and then push the tip of the knife into the line to make a cut. Do this three or four times along the line. These cuts will weaken the tissue between the fat and the red meat. This tissue will tend to contract as the meat is cooked and making cuts into it will prevent it from shrinking the meat or causing it to curl during the cooking process. For thick pieces of meat, make these cuts on both sides. Now use the back of the knife blade to soften the meat by hitting it with a chopping motion. Salt and pepper both sides of the meat. Repeat for each pork cutlet.
2. Take a slice of pork roast and spread it out flat. Place two leaves of shiso on top of the meat, so that they overlap. Cut a slice of cheese to the shape of the meat and then place it on top of the shiso. Roll and add salt and pepper.
3. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them. Add the flour and breadcrumbs to separate bowls. Flour the pork cutlets and pork rolls, dip them in egg, and then coat them well with breadcrumbs. Do this one piece of meat at a time, starting with the cutlets and in the order stated (flour, egg, bread crumbs). Place the cutlets and pork rolls into a refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

4. Fill a large pot about halfway with oil and begin heating. When the oil reaches 160℃, begin cooking the cutlets. Let each cook until it is lightly browned, then remove it to a rack where it can be placed standing up, to drain off the oil. Repeat this process for the pork rolls. The purpose of this initial round of cooking is to ensure that the center of each cutlet and roll is thoroughly cooked.
5. Raise the temperature of the oil to 180℃. Begin cooking the cutlets. Let each cook until it is golden brown, then place it in a standing position on the rack to drain off the oil. Repeat this process for the pork rolls. As you cook, add oil to the pot as necessary. The purpose of this second round of cooking is mainly to produce a crispy golden crust.
6. Once the oil has drained off of the cutlets, cut each into easy-to-eat pieces.
7. Julienne the cabbage and soak the julienned cabbage in water. Cut the tomato and lemon into wedges.
8. Make the tonkatsu sauce by mixing all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
9. Drain the cabbage. Arrange the cabbage, and tomato and lemon wedges, on plates. Add a sliced cutlet and pork roll to each. Top with sauce and serve. Use mustard paste to taste.

Key Point: Using plenty of oil in a large pot and cooking the cutlets one at a time will result in juicier tonkatsu with a crispier crust. Why? When a cutlet is added to the hot oil, it will cool the oil to some extent. Using plenty of oil and cooking the cutlets one at a time helps to keep the oil at the proper temperature for cooking the tonkatsu, and not letting the oil penetrate them too deeply.

Recipe Developed by Machiko Tateno

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