When I was younger and decided I didn’t like fish, I didn’t have many options at Japanese restaurants. I remember being forced to eat teriyaki and plain udon while everyone else in my family enjoyed the raw fish that I found repulsive. One day, I decided to order Japanese Katsudon, a dish I had previously overlooked.
WHAT IS KATSUDON?
Katsudon is essentially a pork chop that has been coated in panko and fried, served over rice with onion and egg. It was great, and I started ordering it every time I visited a Japanese restaurant, even though it didn’t serve fish or teriyaki.
After that, I could never go to a Japanese restaurant without ordering some sushi or sashimi.
The Katsudon option on the menu is like an old buddy, and I always offer it a kind nod. Actually, I decided to cook the dish myself recently and discovered that it’s surprisingly easy to do so.
The smushed-together rice, fried pork, and somewhat sweet egg and onion mixture in this katsudon recipe turned out well. Why wouldn’t you like it?
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 pounded center-cut boneless pork chops
- 2 servings of steamed white rice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg
- 1 cup of panko
- 1 thinly sliced medium onion
- 1 chopped of scallion
- 1/2 cup of dashi stock or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of Mirin
- salt and pepper
- flour for dusting
- oil for frying
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Salt and pepper the pounded pork chops, and then coat them evenly in flour. The egg should be beaten in a small, wide bowl. The panko needs to be placed in a separate, smaller bowl.
- Spread a little oil around a cast-iron skillet or pan and heat it over medium heat. When a panko breadcrumb sizzles when dropped into the oil, you know the oil is hot enough to fry it.
- Coat the pork by dipping it in the egg. To ensure a uniform coating, move the pork to the panko and pound it into the crumbs.
- Place the pork chops gently into the hot oil and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. After 5-6 minutes, turn the meat over and continue cooking. Drain on a paper towel-lined platter.
- While the pork is resting, mix a small bowl’s worth of stock, sugar, soy sauce, and Mirin. Two eggs should be beaten gently in a separate basin.
- Over medium heat, put a tablespoon of oil in a pan and add the sliced onion to cook. Translucent, slightly caramelized onions are the goal here.
- Soak the onions in the stock and water combination. Cut up some tonkatsu and set it atop the sliced onions. Pour the egg over the dish.
- Keep cooking over low heat until the egg is nearly set. Accompany with steamed rice and scallions for serving.