Pork katsudon is a pork cutlet which is coated in panko breadcrumbs, deep-fried, and is served on top of a big bowl of hot steaming rice together with some saucy savoury onion, creamy eggs and shredded cabbage. This dish is usually interchanged with the tonkatsu. If it’s not in a bowl with these ingredients together, then it’s not katsudon! The pork katsudon is already a heavy and complete meal, which can fill you up especially during lunch time.
WHAT IS PORK KATSUDON?
Pork Katsudon is a Japanese dish highly distinguished with its giant bowl of hot steaming rice with some sliced crispy panko-coated pork cutlet with some runny eggs, onions and shredded cabbage. While some people get confused when katsudon is compared with the tonkatsu, the simple answer is that both two dishes are served with the coated pork cutlet but only the katsudon is served in a bowl.
Simply speaking, “tonkatsu” means “pork cutlet” while “katsu” means “cutlet”, and “katsudon” means the whole dish in a bowl.
PORK KATSUDON
Travelling around the world will truly open not just your eyes to different cultures, but also your taste to different cuisines. While a lot of people travel to go sight-seeing and have their picture taken in the most beautiful places in the world, I mostly travel for food. The Filipino acquired taste is comparably gentle and more subtle than other cuisines, which is why trying national dishes and other famous dishes in different countries truly excites me. One among my best food experiences was when I went to Japan.
Japanese cuisine has already infiltrated our culture way, way back. My first experiences with their food came from Japanese restaurants in Manila. As someone who lives in the province, the best way of having the closest taste to authentic Japanese cuisine was to visit these restaurants where you can have a peek at the real Japanese who is tossing a large wok, creating your noodles and your fried rice. Some of my faves are the udon, pork katsudon, tamagoyaki, ebi tempura, and of course their colorful bento boxes which have everything you can imagine.
Now that we are a little “asensado”, travelling to the real origin of the dish is now the best way of having it the authentic way. I remember watching vlogs and articles on Japanese etiquette before my trip. Once I touched down on Japan, believe me when I really slurp those noodles so loud! But a simple dish which really surprised me was the pork katsudon. With the rice, meat, veggie and egg, the pork katsudon simply feels super comfy and delightful, giving me the feeling of home even while in another country.
You’ll see the difference between the authentic pork katsudon and the other version with the panko crumbs and the egg and sauce accompanying the meat. I have written the perfect recipe for you to follow which has the closest flavors with the authentic one.
If you wanna know how to make a pork katsudon at home, read and follow the simple steps below. Happy cooking!
HOW TO MAKE PORK KATSUDON
You will surely be surprised at how easy preparing this 5-star dish is at the comfort of your homes. Why eat out if you can just make the dish at home? The best thing about this is that you can customize everything according to your signature taste!
Start with the pork cutlet. For this recipe, the best cut is the porkchop. (You need to trim off the fatty portion). The first step would be flattening the meat by pounding them. A meat hammer or pounder is the best tool for this step. If you got none, a simple rolling pin can also do the job. Another hack I saw on Tiktok is to use a regular hammer then cover it with sanitary wrap, then add a fork on one end. Pounding will not just flatten it but will also tenderize the meat.
Once flat and slightly thin, coat them in flour, beaten eggs, and the most important, the panko breadcrumbs. Take note that the panko is different from the regular breadcrumbs. It is lighter and flakier, making the resulting cutlet extra crispy without the feeling of too much oil. Lastly, deep fry the cutlet and then slice them just up to one end. Do not cut all the way through.
For the sauce, create a mixture of water, water, white onions, Kikkoman soy sauce, brown sugar and beef broth cube into a pot. This article is not sponsored by Kikkoman, but I am specifying the brand for you to really get that authentic Japanese flavor. The sauce need not to be thick. Once simmered, it is ready. This sauce will be added to lightly cooked beaten eggs, before adding on top of the big bowl of hot steaming rice together with the katsudon and some shredded cabbage.
I really love my pork katsudon during lunch time. The sticky rice and crispy pork fills me up so nicely, I don’t think I need a snack anymore! Yum!
Pork Katsudon
3
servingsIngredients
3 pieces pork cutlet/pork chop
½ white onion (sliced)
1 beef broth cube
¼ cup Kikkoman soy sauce
½ brown sugar
all purpose flour
panko breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste
cabbage (shredded)
spring onions (chopped)
eggs
1 cup water
Directions
- Wash and prepare the pork cutlets. Lay them flat on a chopping board and then beat using a meat pounder or rolling pin until flattened and thin. Rub both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the coatings. Place some all purpose flour on a flat plate. Crack the eggs and beat them on a separate plate. Lastly, add the panko breadcrumbs on another plate.
- Dredge the pork cutlets in the flour to coat them fully. Shake a little to remove the excess. Then, coat the pork in the beaten eggs, then in the breadcrumbs. Press the panko gently into the meat for a better coating and coverage.
- Prepare a pan with some oil. Once the oil is hot, lay the pork cutlet gently into the oil. Let this cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crispy. Then, flip the cutlets and cook the other side for another 6 minutes. Once cooked, remove them from the pan and transfer to a strainer or paper towel to drain excess oil.
- After a few minutes of resting, slice the pork tonkatsu into serving slices and then transfer to a serving plate. Place the sliced tonkatsu on top of hot steaming rice. Set aside.
- For the sauce, combine a cup of water, white onions, Kikkoman soy sauce, brown sugar and beef broth cube into a pot. Cover the pot and allow this to simmer for a few minutes.
- In another pan, crack an egg and then beat. Let this cook a little before adding the sauce made earlier. Stir gently until well mixed.
- Turn the heat off and transfer the egg soy sauce on top of the pork cutlet. Enjoy the pork tonkatsu with a lot of shredded cabbage on the side. Yum!
