I made a lovely dinner last night- I was going to bento the leftovers- only there weren’t any. After spending two hours playing football (or soccer), we were sweaty, sore all over, and HUNGRY. Well, actually I wasn’t all that hungry, but Joseph was. So.
Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish- well really, it’s a Japanese-ish dish. Sort of Japanese food that has been dumbed down for American taste buds. You really think I’m kidding, or maybe you think I’m being rude, but really it’s neither. It’s just the truth.
As far as I can tell, Ton means pork, and katsu means cutlet, or maybe it’s a word to indicate breading of some sort. I think, anyway, because there’s also Chicken Katsu, which is something I had at Mitsuwa in Edgewater.
So I bought some boneless pork chops, and pounded them to about a half inch thick. The chicken breasts were only hammered out at the necessary parts to make them even.
Then I dredged them in flour, seasoned with salt and pepper. I was watching a chef show once, and they said that you need to season every layer, and any cook should know that. I made a mental note, and whenever I am layering flavors, I keep that in mind. But I digress.
Then I dipped it in egg, then coated it in Panko, which are the Japanese equivalent of bread crumbs. Only they aren’t bread crumbs, they are light and airy and get really crispy. Everything you ever wanted bread crumbs to be but they weren’t. When I put it in the panko dish, I press down on them- several times, flipping it over. I really want the panko to be really in there. Then I lift, shake gently, and repeat the process until the meat is finished.
To give you an idea of measurements- I had four chicken breasts and three pork chops. I used about two cups of flour (had leftovers that I threw out), used three eggs, and about half a bag of panko- maybe around 2-3 cups of it. I buy the big bags, since it’s a staple around here.
Then they get about 3-5 minutes on each side in a pan with oil (vegetable or peanut oil) that has been heated really hot then turned down to a medium-high heat. They’ll turn this lovely golden brown. Don’t worry about the meat not being cooked all the way through- in fact, you even want it to still be a tiny bit pink, since the meat will continue cooking even after you take it off the heat.
The sauce is what makes this to DIE for. The approximate measurements, and ingredients, are as follows:
1 cup ketchup (I said EW to this at first- I even had to go buy it because I don’t keep it in the house. But, it really works here. Trust.)
1/2 cup worchestershire sauce
1/2-3/4 cup mirin (rice wine)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dijon mustard (I keep a big jar of grey pupon around, it’s great for dressings and last minute things like that)
two cloves of garlic, pressed
1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and pressed (I used the garlic press. Note that it will sort of “juice” the ginger instead of mincing it like it does to the garlic)
Whisk this all together, and put it on the stove over medium heat. I do this part FIRST, before I do the meat. That way it can simmer and bubble over low heat on the back of the stove, putting all these amazing smells into the air and getting everyone excited for dinner.
Then I shred some cabbage- there are several different ways to do this. For some reason, Williams Sonoma hasn’t sent me a mandolin just yet, so I get out my trusty five star chef knife and slice it on up. Side note: I only know how to do this properly because my mother used to make me slice the lettuce for tacos so thinly! Although, if I remember correctly, I never got it thin enough to satisfy her. However, I did okay with the cabbage this time.
Once you have it sliced, put it in a large bowl and cover it with ice water, for up to an hour. Just make sure you remember to drain it about five minutes before you put the sauce on it or serve it- I let it sit in the colander and give it time to REALLY drain the water off.
The sauce for the cabbage really depends on YOU, and what kind of flavors you like to have. However, here’s how I made mine:
2 spoonfuls (like serving spoon) of miracle whip. I hate mayo. So I don’t use it. But you could use it for this recipe if you wanted. I think it looked like it was almost a cup.
1/2 a cup, ish, of sour cream. Creme fraiche would have actually been preferable here, because you want a more runny consistency and that has it.
more fresh ginger, pressed. about an inch of fresh, peeled ginger.
more fresh garlic, pressed. 3 cloves, but I love garlic. So you could also use less.
1/4-1/2 cup of mirin
lots of lemon juice! It will give it this GREAT tang, and thin out the other ingredients until it’s the consistency you want.
If you have picky eaters, put the sauce in a small dish on the side. I love to toss it all together- kind of like an American Cole Slaw, but only in the idea because this is so much better than any slaw you’ve ever tasted here.
Also this is probably not the normal sauce that goes with this cabbage- I made it up.
Arrange it all on a plate to look pretty- I use folded slices of pickled radish and a lemon wedge to dress it up. I’d show you, but Joseph ate ALL of it, and faster than I could take a photo. So next time.
I forgive him for this for two reasons.
First, because he liked my food so much that I couldn’t even get a photo taken before he just devoured it.
Second, because he made me a rose out of a paper towel (he found the instructions online) and gave it to me to thank me for making him such an amazing dinner. I totally melted. Then kissed him. Then…ok, ok, I’ll stop there.
Also he told me that I’m the love of his life. So…yeah.
Anyway, I hope you get a chance to try (and love!) this recipe!! To borrow the phrase… Bon Appetit!
I suppose the feeling I have when Dylan goes home is similar to the feeling that other mothers get when their children fall asleep for the night- relief. Mine is mixed with a bit of sadness that I am not the one tucking him in, not the one who knows exactly what his current sleepy-time routine includes. I’m not the one getting him to brush his teeth every night, nor am I the one doing the funny voices for his bedtime story.
