Katsudon

Katsudon (Pork Cutlet and Egg over Rice)

A classic Japanese rice-bowl dish: a crisp panko-breaded pork cutlet (tonkatsu) is gently simmered with onion in a sweet-savory dashi sauce, finished with softly set beaten egg, and served over a bowl of steaming rice. A favourite comfort meal and traditional 'good luck' dinner before exams.

Prep

15 min

Cook

25 min

Total

40 min

Serves

2

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) boneless pork loin or loin fillet, cut into 2 cutlets about 1.5 cm / ⅝ in thick
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) salt, plus extra for seasoning
• •0.25 tsp (¼ tsp) ground black pepper, freshly ground if possible
• •30 g (¼ cup) plain flour (all-purpose), for dredging
• •1 whole (1 large) egg, beaten, for dredging
• •80 g (1¾ cups) panko breadcrumbs, Japanese-style coarse crumbs give the best crispness
• •400 ml (1¾ cups) neutral oil, vegetable, canola, or sunflower, for shallow-frying; depth about 1.5 cm / ⅝ in
• •1 small (1 small (about 80 g / 3 oz)) onion, halved top to bottom, then sliced thinly across the grain
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) dashi, Japanese soup stock; substitute 200 ml water + 2 g (1 tsp) dashi powder if needed
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) soy sauce (koikuchi), Japanese regular soy sauce
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) mirin
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) sake, optional, but traditional
• •5 g (1 tsp) caster or granulated sugar
• •3 whole (3 large) eggs, lightly beaten with chopsticks until just combined; do not over-whisk
• •400 g (14 oz (about 2¼ cups uncooked)) Japanese short-grain rice, rinsed until water runs clear, then cooked
• •2 g (1 tsp) spring onion (scallion), finely sliced greens only, to garnish

Steps

1. 1 Cook the rice: rinse 400 g short-grain rice until the water runs almost clear, then cook with 520 ml (2¼ cups) water in a rice cooker or covered pot until tender. Keep warm.
2. 2 Prepare the cutlets: pat the pork dry, season both sides with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Set up three plates: flour, one beaten egg, and panko. Dredge each cutlet in flour (shake off excess), dip in egg, then press firmly into panko so crumbs adhere all over. Let the coated cutlets rest 5 minutes so the crumb sets.
3. 3 Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat to 170 °C / 340 °F (a breadcrumb should sizzle immediately). Fry the cutlets about 3–4 minutes per side, until deep golden and the pork is cooked through (internal temperature 70 °C / 158 °F on an instant-read thermometer). Drain on a wire rack (not paper towels, which soften the crust).
4. 4 While the pork rests, make the simmering broth: in a wide skillet or small donabe, combine 200 ml dashi, 30 ml soy sauce, 30 ml mirin, 15 ml sake and 5 g sugar. Add the sliced onion, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook 2–3 minutes until the onion is just tender but still holds its shape.
5. 5 Slice each tonkatsu across the grain into 2.5 cm / 1 in wide pieces. Nestle the slices into the simmering broth, spooning some sauce over the cutlets, and simmer 1 minute to reheat and absorb the flavour.
6. 6 Pour the 3 lightly beaten eggs evenly over the cutlets and onion. Cover with a lid and cook 1–2 minutes over low heat until the egg is just set but still glossy and slightly soft on top (not browned). Do not stir.
7. 7 Divide the hot rice between two deep bowls. Slide half the cutlet, egg and onion over each bowl of rice, then spoon any remaining sauce over the top.
8. 8 Garnish with sliced spring onion and serve immediately. The egg should be soft, the crust audible under the sauce, and the rice piping hot.