Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet)

The Katsu Nazi
Just outside the main gate of Yokosuka Naval Base, there was a little Tonkatsu shop. It was open on odd days and odd hours. The man who worked there was of the age that he could have fought in WWII. He had a very dour expression and acted as if he was being punished by God for some atrocity he had committed during the war: "For your sins, you shall make delicious tonkatsu for ungrateful American Servicemen forever!". And it was delicious. One day, Brian O'Neal and I took our wives there for lunch. They were tired of us talking about this place and wanted to experience for themselves what all the fuss was about. We sat at the bar waiting patiently when the Katsu Nazi came through the curtains and asked us for our orders. Brian and I ordered the specials, as did Sara. When Lida ordered the special, he announced in a surprisingly loud voice, "No special for you!". She tried again, but to no avail. He made her something else. Like Elaine Benes, she wasn't worthy of the sacred pork. She never came back. 
Ingredients

The Meat
  • 6 pork loin cutlets (or more or less)
  • pepper and salt
  • 3 cups canola oil
  • 1 candy thermometer
  • 1 wire rack

The Breading
  • 2 Tbsp all purpose flour (or more if needed)
  • 3 large eggs (or more)
  • 1/2 cup of Panko (or more)

The Serving
Directions
  1. Gather all your ingredients.
  2. Prepare the Pork!
    1. Score the white areas (the fat) with a knife. This will prevent curling and keep the meat flat when it is frying.
    2. Pound the meat! Tenderizing with a meat mallet is key. Then mold it back into its original shape. Mmmmm, tender pork.
    3. Season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides.
  3. Prepare the Breading!
    1. Set up three dishes in a row. One with the flour, one with the egg, and the last with the Panko.
      1. Secret chef tip: For every egg you use, add about 1/2 Tbsp Canola oil and mix with the egg. It helps somehow but I rarely do this.
    2. Dredge each cutlet in the flour (shaking off the excess), then soak it in the egg mixture, then press down into the Panko. Shake off the excess.  Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes before you deep fry it. That's why we haven't talked about the oil yet. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
  4. Prepare the Cabbage!
    1. Cut the cabbage into thin strips with a knife or Mandolin. 
    2. Arrange it on the plate like a little cabbage pillow for your pork.
  5. Prepare the Oil!
    1. Place the oil in the pot and bring it to about 340 degrees Fahrenheit on your candy Thermometer.
    2. Place one or two pieces of pork in a time so you don't drop the temperature (which you need to check to make sure it doesn't get too hot as well). However, I usually do four at a time cuz I'm a rebel.
    3. Cook for one minute on one side, then flip and cook for one minute more.
    4. Place the cooked pork on a wire rack that sits over paper towels so that the excess oil drips off of it.
    5. Scoop off the excess crumbs and cook the rest of your cutlets.  The first group should have been sitting for about 4-5 minutes at this point.
    6. Round two!
    7. Raise the temperature to about 355-360 degrees and cook the first cutlets again for about 30 seconds per side.
    8. Place them back on the wire rack
  6. Once all are done, cut them into slices and serve with your cabbage and the ever so tasty Katsu sauce. Yum!
The Truth About Oil
One of the secrets of the Katsu Nazi was that he had two separate friers that were set to different temperatures. He also kept his oil cleaner than I keep my teeth. This dual temperature frying of pork was the key to his ability to make ridiculously good Tonkatsu. In reality, I rarely have time to do this two temperature technique because life is busy, people are hungry, and making dinner is a triumph in and of itself. So, I often just heat the oil to my desired temperature and cook it for 2 minutes on each side. It turns out great this way and everybody loves it and I don't go crazy sweating over the hot oil. Plus, deep frying in a pot on the stove freaks my out a bit and I keep all the kids clear since oil shooting around the kitchen terrifies me. In the end, however, if you are really prepared, set everything out, and move fast, dual frying is well within the realm of reality, it just requires that next level of effort.