You would make Katsu no different than a schnitzel, the only difference is your choice of pork cut and what accompanies the dish. You get two kinds of Katsu meat options, rosu and hire. Rosu Katsu is cut from the tender pork loin with a layer of fat on one side. Hire Katsu is made from the almost fat-less tenderloin and is leaner. Both are equally good but rosu does have more flavour because of the fat.
Traditionally Katsu would be served pre-sliced on a plate with a side of cabbage salad and a little bowl of Tonkatsu sauce on the side. Sometimes it will be served on milk bread, crusts removed and then sliced into 3 portions.
I have adapted this recipe to my own liking. I have taken all the elements of a Katsu and turned it into a burger. Some of the names might sound very foreign to you, but when you look at the ingredient breakdown, it is all products that you are familiar with. I just think this is just such a great alternative to a normal burger! It is something different and it is full of flavour!
You’ll need
- • For the Katsu
- 300g x pork loin
- 1 x egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup x flour
- ½ cup x Japanese panko bread crumbs
- Canola oil for frying
- Salt and pepper
- • For the cabbage salad
- 1 cup x cabbage, finely shredded
- • For the Sesame dressing (Store bought is fine, but below are the ingredients to make your own)
- 3 Tbsp x white sesame seeds
- 1 to 2 Tbsp x rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp x soy sauce
- 2 tsp x sugar
- 1 tsp x sesame oil
- • For the Tonkatsu Sauce
- 1 Tbsp x ketchup
- 2 ½ tsp x worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ tsp x oyster sauce
- 1 x tsp honey
- • For the assembly
- 2 x brioche buns (I toasted mine, but it is optional)
- A few Shiso or Perilla leaves (optional)
Method
- For the Katsu. Take your pork loin and slice it in half so that you have 2 pieces. Then take each half and butterfly it open. (Do this by cutting down the centre from the top, but not all the way down. Open up the meat so that you have one piece more or less the same thickness)
- Now take the back of your knife or a meat mallet, cover with clingfilm and bash the meat until it is just under 2cm thick.
- Season the pork with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Dust the pork in flour and shake off any excess.
- Next, dip it in the egg mix and finally coat it liberally with the panko crumbs.
- Pour enough oil in your pan to come up at least halfway up your Katsu.
- Heat the oil to about 165˚C. (You should see small bubbles or hear some crackling when you throw in a few breadcrumbs)
- Fry for about 7 minutes and in that time, turn over the pork to be golden on both sides.
- When done, remove and place on towel paper to absorb excess oil.
- For the sesame dressing. You can of course use shop bought but it is not always easy to find. To make your own, place the sesame seeds on a low-medium heat in a frying pan. As soon as it starts to pop, remove it from the heat.
- Then you can either grind the seeds with a mortar and pestle or food processor until smooth.
- Mix the rice vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. (Start with 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, if it is not too sour for you, add the 2nd Tbsp)
- Add the sesame seeds and sesame oil and whisk together.
- For the Tonkatsu sauce, simply mix all the ingredients together.
- To assemble. Mix the sesame dressing with the shredded cabbage.
- Spread both insides of the buns with the Tonkatsu sauce.
- If you are using Shiso or Perilla leaves, place a few on the bottom bun.
- Place the Pork on the bun and top with a generous amount of cabbage salad.
- Finally place the top bun on top and enjoy!
Tip : In Norwegian Shiso or Perilla is known as Bladmynte.