Donkatsu (2)

This is one of the most popular dinners at our house because it's crazy easy but even more so because it's delicious. We love doing katsu curry but since my old donkatsu post needed revamping, I decided to document and share.

I used to serve donkatsu in individual portions, meaning everyone got their own chop, but lately I've just been cutting the pork into pieces, piling it high on a plate, and then serving it family style. It's easier to eat - you don't need a fork and knife - and it's extremely helpful if you're trying to stretch your budget because you can always pound the chops extra thin to create more surface area for the breading and ultimately make more pieces.

Ingredients [serves 2]:
donkatsu
2 center-cut pork chops
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
oil for frying

sauce
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons A1
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
2 teaspoons brown sugar

salad
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons grated carrot
2 tablespoons grated apple
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 scallion, chopped
+ spring mix
+ cucumber

Start by pounding the chops thin between two pieces of parchment. You can also use cling film but I like parchment because it doesn't tear as easily.

Set up a breading station with seasoned flour, a beaten egg, and a pile of panko breadcrumbs.

Dredge the chops in flour and shake off the excess, dip into the beaten egg, and then coat in breadcrumbs.

Fry the pork chops in a pan of oil - either pan fry or shallow fry, it's up to you. The oil should be about 350F to ensure the meat cooks through and browns sufficiently. Drain the chops on paper towels to wick away the excess grease.

To make the sauce, mix together the ketchup, A1, Worcestershire, mustard, and sugar; done.

To make the dressing, mix together the grated ginger, grated carrot, grated apple, sesame oil, sesame seeds, honey, rice wine vinegar, and scallions. Assemble a salad of your choice - I used baby arugula and cucumber - and toss in the dressing.

Slice up the pork into strips and serve while it's still hot.

We had our donkatsu and sesame ginger salad with some roasted nori, julienned radish kimchi, soon tofu jjigae, and black beans.

The pork is light and crispy and tender (thanks to the thin pounding), the sauce is lightly sweet and tangy, the salad is bright and fragrant, and it's a perfect comforting meal.

Here's the recipe page: