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Le Chaudron recipe

Tonkatsu japonais

Japanese breaded pork cutlet

⏱ 40 minServes 4Medium520 kcal

A recipe from Le Chaudron — the cooking of France’s regions.

01 — Ingredients4 servings

  • 4pork loin cutlets200 g (7 oz) each
  • 200 g (7 oz)all-purpose flour
  • 4whole eggs
  • 300 g (11 oz)pankoJapanese breadcrumbs
  • 500 ml (2 cups)neutral vegetable oilfor frying
  • 200 g (7 oz)white cabbage, finely shredded
  • 200 g (7 oz)tonkatsu sauceor Bull-Dog
  • 2 tbspJapanese mustardkarashi), optional
  • 4servings of cooked Japanese rice
  • 2 tbspJapanese soy sauce
  • 1lemon
  • 3scallions
  • 2 tsptoasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tspfine salt
  • 1 tspfreshly ground pepper
  • 4 pork loin cutlets 200 g (7 oz) each
  • 200 g (7 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 300 g (11 oz) panko Japanese breadcrumbs
  • 500 ml (2 cups) neutral vegetable oil for frying
  • 200 g (7 oz) white cabbage, finely shredded
  • 200 g (7 oz) tonkatsu sauce or Bull-Dog
  • 2 tbsp Japanese mustard karashi), optional
  • 4 servings of cooked Japanese rice
  • 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 scallions
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Serves 4. In the app, quantities adjust to the number of guests on their own — and the ingredients go straight to your shopping list.

02 — Equipment

1 large deep skillet or deep fryer1 cooking thermometer3 shallow dishes (for breading)paper towels1 mandoline (for the cabbage)1 sharp chef’s knifeMedium saucepanChinese five-spice powderBlack peppercorns

03 — Method

  1. TONKATSU is a classic of modern Japanese cooking, served in izakayas and dedicated tonkatsu-ya restaurants. Its hallmark is an ULTRA-CRISPY panko crust with an unbeatable light crunch.
  2. Take the 4 pork loin cutlets out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking to bring them to room temperature. This is ABSOLUTELY essential for even cooking.
  3. Make small cuts in the fatty edge of the pork every 3 cm (1 in) so the cutlets don’t curl when frying. Flatten them slightly with the flat of the knife to an even 1.5 cm (½ in) thickness.
  4. Season the cutlets on both sides. Set up the BREADING station in 3 shallow dishes: flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) in the third. Panko is ESSENTIAL for tonkatsu’s signature crunch.
  5. BREAD each cutlet in order: dredge in flour, tapping off the excess, then dip in the beaten egg until well coated, and finally press gently into the panko so it sticks. This three-step breading is the soul of real tonkatsu.
  6. Heat the neutral vegetable oil in the large deep skillet or fryer to exactly 170 °C (338 °F), checking with a cooking thermometer. This temperature is ABSOLUTELY essential for perfect frying without the cutlets soaking up too much oil.
  7. Fry the breaded cutlets for 4 MINUTES PER SIDE at 170 °C (338 °F) until golden. Drain them standing upright on paper towels so the excess oil runs off — a Japanese trick that keeps the crust crisp.
  8. Shred the 200 g (7 oz) of white cabbage VERY FINELY on the mandoline into a light, airy pile. Slice each tonkatsu into thick 1.5 cm (½ in) strips. Serve with rice, cabbage, tonkatsu sauce, lemon, scallions and sesame.

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CategoryMain dishes