Tonkatsu

Show: Easy Japanesey

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This is a great example of Japanese comfort food.

6 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil for frying
1/2 pound pork cutlets (pounding out a tenderloin is easy but more expensive; I often use small boneless pork chops, pounded thin with a meat mallet)
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, mixed with salt and pepper
2 cups (about) Panko crumbs (you can find these in Asian markets and some grocery stores; substitute coarse dried bread crumbs if you can't find Panko)
Shredded cabbage
Cooked sushi rice
Bulldog sauce (can be found in Asian markets)

Set up three shallow bowls (or pie plates). Place flour in one, beaten eggs in another, and Panko crumbs in the third. Follow these steps for each cutlet: Dredge cutlet in flour. Dip in egg. Dip in Panko. Dip into egg again. Dip into Panko again. Set aside on plate and repeat with remaining cutlets. Heat oil in deep skillet over medium-high to high heat. Place each breaded cutlet into the hot oil, allowing oil to return to original temp between additions. You might need to fry in batches if you don't have a large enough pan. Cook each cutlet until nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Slice each cutlet into 1/2 inch strips. Serve sliced cutlet on a small plate atop a bed of sliced cabbage. Serve a bowl of rice on the side. Pass a bottle of bulldog sauce around the table. Also consider serving small dishes of edamame -- you can find these Japanese soy beans in the freezer section of the grocery store.