Katsudon Recipe – Japanese Cooking 101 (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between tonkatsu and katsudon? ›

Tonkatsu would be breaded fried pork, which is exactly what it is. Tonkatsu is a traditional Japanese dish of a breaded, and deep fried pork cutlet. All are breaded pork Cutlets ,But however Katsudon is shallow cooked with lightly seasoned onion and shallots chicken broth topped with egg, while tonkatsu is not..

Katsudon (Japanese: カツ丼) is a popular Japanese food, a bowl of rice topped with a deep-fried breaded pork cutlet, egg, vegetables, and condiments. The dish takes its name from the Japanese words tonkatsu (for pork cutlet) and donburi (for rice bowl dish).

Several kinds of oils are used to make the frying oil, such as vegetable oil, lard, sesame oil, and olive oil. The amount of oil must be sufficient to completely submerge the meat. This is one of the secrets of frying, as it is this amount of oil which makes the tonkatsu so crispy, yet juicy inside.

Use Panko breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are light and crispy, which gives the Chicken Katsu a great texture. Regular breadcrumbs can be used, but they won't give you the same result. Fry at the right temperature: Fry the Chicken Katsu in oil that has been heated to 350°F (180°C) for the best results.

Pork – There are two cuts of meat we typically use for this dish: pork loin (ロース rōsu) or tenderloin/fillet (ヒレ hire). Both cuts are fairly lean, but pork loin has a layer of fat that gives the Tonkatsu an extra tender bite when cooked properly.

Katsudon is a Japanese pork cutlet rice bowl made with tonkatsu, eggs, and sautéed onions simmered in a sweet and savory sauce. It's a one-bowl wonder and true comfort food! Donburi (or rice bowls) are one of the giants of Japanese cuisine.

Tonkatsu or katsu curry

Tonkatsu could be a dangerous food if you eat batter-fat one with lots of rice and dipping sauce. It's a carb and fat bomb. Curry contains flour and lots of sodium, so the combo of katsu and curry is even more dangerous even though it's really addictive.

f*ckujinzuke is a mixture of Japanese radish (daikon), lotus root, cucumber and eggplant which are preserved in a soya sauce and sweet cooking wine (mirin) base. The sweet brown or red relish is served as a garnish to Japanese curry (kare raisu).

Combine dashi, soy sauce, sake, sugar, and mirin in a small saucepan or donburi pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. If using onion, add to broth and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes.

Cornstarch Vs Flour

If you don't have cornstarch, use flour. Both will work! I have made tonkatsu with both, and I prefer cornstarch because I feel that it clings to the pork better and yields a crispier crunch.

Why is my tonkatsu soggy? ›

Cooking this too hot will char your delicate breadcrumbs, and cooking it too cold will give you soggy, oily katsu. Hitting that temperature on the head really helps!

Heat 1.5cm of vegetable oil in a heavy frying pan until it reaches 180C. Shallow fry the Tonkatsu for approximately 4 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 65C. Leave to rest for approximately 4 minutes.

The only thing to be concerned about is temperature management. Too cold, and your bread crumbs will take too long to crisp, allowing the meat to overcook. Way too cold, and they'll slough off before they can even set. Too hot, and they'll burn before the meat is done.

The best way to keep fried foods crispy? Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. If you're frying multiple batches, throw the whole setup into a low oven to keep everything warm as you keep frying and adding to the rack.

Oil - I recommend using a neutral oil with a high smoke point. Rice bran oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil are ideal, but canola or sunflower oil will work as well. Tonkatsu Sauce - This sweet, tangy sauce is a perfect complement to the savory pork cutlet, bringing a balance of flavors that is distinctly Japanese.

It involves coating slices of pork with panko (bread crumbs), and then frying them in oil. The two main types are fillet and loin. Tonkatsu is also the basis of other dishes such as katsukarē and katsudon.

In brief, tonkatsu is a fried pork cutlet dish. Tonkotsu is the name for the rich pork-bone broth used in ramen. Sound similar, very different. Should one order tonkatsu ramen outside of Japan, however, you will probably get tonkotsu soup and not noodles topped with pork cutlet, though that would probably be great.

In Hawaii it is called "chicken katsu" but the Japanese refer to this dish as "torikatsu." It is referred to as "tonkatsu" when it is made with pork cutlets. The katsu sauce recipe uses ingredients readily available in most Canadian kitchens.

Korean don-gaseu is different from Japanese tonkatsu in that it is thinner and often served unsliced, thus eaten with a knife and fork, not chopsticks, and is served with demi-glace on top of the fried meat (or in case of fish cutlet, tartar sauce on the fried fish).