Tonkatsu with Simple Slaw
A crisp, golden Japanese pork cutlet with a juicy centre, served with a light crunchy slaw for balance. It makes a satisfying weeknight supper or casual weekend meal.
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Servings: 4 | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 20 min | Total: 40 min
Tags: Japanese, cutlet, fried, main course, pork, rice-optional
Ingredients
- 4.0 boneless pork loin chops (about 150–180 g each, trimmed to roughly 1.5 cm thickness)
- 1.0 tsp fine salt (for seasoning the pork)
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (freshly ground if possible)
- 80.0 g plain flour (for dredging)
- 2.0 eggs (beaten until smooth)
- 150.0 g panko breadcrumbs (Japanese-style breadcrumbs for a light crunchy coating)
- 500.0 ml neutral oil (for shallow frying, such as rapeseed or sunflower oil)
- 300.0 g white cabbage (very finely shredded)
- 1.0 carrot (peeled and cut into fine matchsticks or grated)
- 2.0 tbsp rice vinegar (for the slaw dressing)
- 1.0 tsp caster sugar (to balance the dressing)
- 1.0 tsp soy sauce (optional, for extra savoury depth in the slaw)
Instructions
- Pat the pork chops dry, then place them between sheets of baking paper and gently pound them to an even thickness of about 1.5 cm so they cook evenly without drying out.
- Season both sides of the pork with the salt and black pepper, then leave them at room temperature for 10 minutes so the seasoning starts to penetrate and the meat loses its fridge chill.
- Place the flour, beaten eggs, and panko in separate shallow dishes, then coat each pork chop first in flour, next in egg, and finally in panko, pressing lightly so the crumbs adhere in an even layer with no bare patches.
- Mix the cabbage and carrot in a bowl, then stir the rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and mayonnaise if using until combined, toss with the vegetables, and leave the slaw to soften slightly for 10 minutes until still crisp but lightly dressed.
- Heat the oil over a medium heat until it reaches about 170–175°C, or until a breadcrumb sizzles steadily and rises to the surface without burning quickly.
- Lower 1 or 2 cutlets into the hot oil and fry over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side until deep golden and audibly crisp, then turn and fry for 3 to 4 minutes more until the coating is evenly browned and the pork is just cooked through.
- Transfer the fried cutlets to a rack or lined tray, season immediately with a small pinch of salt while hot, and rest them for 2 minutes so the juices settle and the crust stays crisp.
- Repeat with the remaining cutlets, keeping the heat at a steady medium level and adjusting it if the crumbs darken too fast or the oil goes quiet and greasy.
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