Japanese Katsudon (Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl)

Japanese Katsudon (Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl)

Katsudon is one of Japan’s most popular comfort foods. Crispy tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) is gently simmered with onion in a savory dashi sauce, then finished with eggs and served over steamed rice.

Ingredients

For the Tonkatsu

• Pork loin chops (boneless), 2 pieces (about 150 g each)
• Salt, 3 g
• Black pepper, 1 g
• Plain flour, 30 g
• Egg, 1 large (50 g), beaten
• Panko breadcrumbs, 60 g
• Vegetable oil, about 500 g (for frying)

For the Katsudon Sauce

• Dashi stock, 200 g
• Soy sauce, 30 g
• Mirin, (Japanese Rice Wine) 30 g
• Sugar, 10 g
• Onion, 100 g, thinly sliced

To Finish

• Eggs, 3 large (150 g)
• Cooked Japanese rice, 400 g
• Spring onion, 15 g, sliced (optional)

Method

1. Prepare the Pork

• Pat the pork dry with paper towels.
• Season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Lightly coat each piece in flour.
• Dip into the beaten egg.
• Coat evenly with panko breadcrumbs.

2. Fry the Tonkatsu

• Heat the oil in a deep-frying pan or pot to 170°C.
• Carefully lower the pork into the oil.
• Fry for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.
• Remove and drain on paper towels.
• Let rest for 2 minutes, then slice into strips about 2 cm thick.

3. Make the Sauce

• In a large frying pan, combine: 
• Dashi
• Soy sauce
• Mirin
• Sugar
• Bring to a gentle simmer.
• Add the sliced onion.
• Cook for 4-5 minutes, until softened.

4. Add the Tonkatsu

• Place the sliced tonkatsu on top of the onions.
• Simmer gently for 1 minute so the pork absorbs some flavor.

5. Add the Eggs

• Beat the 3 eggs lightly. Do not over-mix; some streaks of white and yolk are fine.
• Pour the eggs evenly over the pork and onions.
• Cover with a lid and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the eggs are just set but still slightly soft.

6. Serve

• Put the hot rice in the bowls.
• Carefully spoon the pork, onions, egg and sauce over the rice.
• Garnish with sliced spring onion if desired.
• Serve immediately.

Beginner Tips

Don't overcook the eggs. Slightly runny eggs are traditional and make the dish creamy.

Use panko. Regular breadcrumbs work, but panko gives the classic light, crispy texture.

No dashi? Use the same amount (200 g) of chicken stock. It won't be traditional, but it will still taste great.

Check the oil temperature. If you don't have a thermometer, drop in a few panko crumbs. They should sizzle gently and float immediately.

Rest the pork after frying. This keeps the juices inside and helps the coating stay attached.

Cook the rice first. Katsudon comes together quickly once the pork is fried, so have the rice ready before starting the sauce.

Mirin is a type of rice wine and a common ingredient in Japanese cooking. It is similar to sake but with a lower alcohol content and higher sugar content. The sugar content is a complex carbohydrate that forms naturally during the fermentation process; no sugars are added

Dashi is a family of stocks used in Japanese cuisine. Dashi forms the base for miso soup, clear broth soup, noodle broth soup, and many simmering liquids to accentuate the savory flavor known as umami. Dashi is also mixed into the flour base of some grilled foods like okonomiyaki and takoyaki.

Other kinds of dashi are made by soaking kelp, niboshi, or shiitake in water for many hours or by heating them in near-boiling water and straining the resulting broth.

• Kombu dashi is made by soaking or gently simmering kelp in water; soaking is traditional and fit for making baby food while simmering is a more modern practice. Kombu dashi becomes bitter and unpalatable when boiled.
• Niboshi dashi is made by pinching off the heads and entrails of small dried sardines (to prevent bitterness) and soaking the rest in water. Sometimes the heads are used as not everyone finds them to be bitter, and the fish are occasionally toasted to evaporate any volatile unpleasant fishy odors.
• Shiitake dashi is made by soaking dried shiitake mushrooms in water, the liquid gotten from re-hydrating the dried mushrooms are used in making dashi.^[5] Dried shiitake is preferred over fresh due to a stronger presence of savory or umami flavors.