Katsudon (Japanese Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl)

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 25 minutes
• total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 sheet kombu

2 boneless pork chops (pounded to about ¼-inch thick)

1 cup all-purpose flour

6 large eggs (divided)

1½ cups Panko breadcrumbs

½ teaspoon Ground black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil for frying

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon sake

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 large yellow onion (sliced)

sliced green onions (to garnish, optional)

Directions

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the kombu sheet. Allow the kombu to soak in the boiled water for at least 10 minutes - or as long as possible (the longer it sits, the more flavor will be extracted from the kombu.)

Remove the kombu from the water and discard. Reserve the water and set aside.

Place the pork chops between 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a large cutting board. Pound the pork chops with a meat mallet to about 1/4-inch thickness, then set them aside.

Prepare the dredging station using three shallow bowls. Add the all-purpose flour to the first bowl; beat four large eggs in the second bowl; and combine the panko breadcrumbs with salt and black pepper in the third bowl.

Dip each pork cutlet in the flour, first, shaking off any excess, then, coat the cutlets in the whisked egg. Finally, coat them with the panko mixture, pressing on as much as possible.

Heat 3 inches of vegetable oil in a deep-frying skillet until it reaches 350-375℉. Once the oil is hot, add the breaded pork cutlets and cook until golden brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Add the kombu broth (aka dashi or dashi stock), soy sauce, mirin, and sugar to a large skillet set over medium heat. Stir and warm the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.

Once the sugar has dissolved, stir in the sliced onions. Slowly cook the onions until they are soft, translucent, and most of the liquid has evaporated (reduce the head if needed to prevent the liquid from evaporating too quickly or cover the skillet with a lid).

Meanwhile, slice the tonkatsu (the fried pork cutlet) into thin strips and whisk the remaining two eggs in a small bowl.

Once the sliced onions are cooked, place the sliced tonkatsu in the skillet directly on top of the onions. Pour the eggs directly over the sliced pork cutlet and the onions.

Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through. Serve on top of cooked white rice and garnish with sliced green onions if desired.

Nutrition

• Calories: 458 kcal
• Total Fat: 13 g
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
• Trans Fat: 0.1 g
• Cholesterol: 324 mg
• Sodium: 1133 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 50 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 8 g
• Protein: 32 g