Tonkatsu (“ton” means “pork”; “katsu,” “cutlet”) is one of many dishes, along with hambagu (hamburger steak) and kare raisu (curry rice), that are broadly categorized within Japanese cuisine as Yoshoku: European or American dishes that have been embraced and adapted to suit local tastes. When I spoke to Tadashi Ono, author of Japanese Soul Cooking (2013), about the crisp, panko-crusted chops, he rhapsodized about the food that has been his favorite since childhood, calling it both “easy to make” and “easy to eat.”
Behind the Recipes
Make Crispy, Crunchy, Perfectly Pro-Level Tonkatsu at Home
An expert method helps you fry meaty pork chops to crunchy, juicy perfection.
By and
Published June 4, 2024.
The dish’s East-West provenance traces to 1899 Tokyo at Renga-tei restaurant (which still operates today in the elite Ginza district), where it was created as a twist on France’s côtelette de veau. Looking to reshape the buttery breaded and sautéed meat for Japanese preferences, the chef married tempura frying techniques with a classic bound breading. Instead of veal, he dipped less-expensive pork cutlets in flour, egg, and bread crumbs. (Later, fresh panko replaced the dry crumbs.) Then, he lowered the coated pieces of meat into a pot of bubbling oil, giving rise to the crunchy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside, deep-fried treat that is still beloved today.
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Ono told me that—like many Japanese cooks—he frequently prepares tonkatsu in his home kitchen, choosing lean, thin cuts for the triple dip and frying treatment. After a brief rest, the crunchy chops are sliced into strips for serving and often accompanied by a savory-sweet sauce (Ono recommends Kagame or Bull-Dog as well as a little prepared Japanese mustard on the side). I lean toward soy sauce with a dab of wasabi and/or a spray of lemon juice. No matter the condiments, the iconic chops are traditionally presented with finely shredded and chilled raw cabbage and, like many other Japanese dishes, plenty of steamed rice.
Here’s everything you need to know to make your own first-rate tonkatsu.
Shopping for Panko
Japanese chefs have access to nama, or fresh, panko: large, irregular shards of shokupan (white bread) that can be packed onto a chop to build a coating with incredible textured crunch. But nama panko is typically sold only in bulk to restaurants. The best option for home cooks is to seek out the largest dried panko flakes you can find. When shopping, look for transparent packaging so that you can inspect the size of the flakes.
Prep for Success
Following Ono’s advice, choose a lean, thin cut: We like 3/4-inch-thick boneless loin chops with a ¼-inch fat cap. The fat will give some bites extra richness and texture, and the chops will be satisfying and juicy but not so thick that you need to take their temperature to be sure that they’re cooked through.
To ensure that the chops don’t buckle, which in turn will ensure that they cook evenly, borrow this trick from Japanese cooks:
Holding sharp paring knife at 45-degree angle, poke tip of knife into fat to create 1/4-inch slits around perimeter of fat cap, spacing slits about 3/4 inch apart. These perforations will allow fat to shrink during cooking without meat curling in on itself.
Use a Neater Breading Method
A traditional triple-dip breading (flour, egg, panko) is the standard way to coat tonkatsu (and many other proteins). With this method, which can be used for any bound breading, I replace the pie plates that are typically used to hold the ingredients with roomier vessels. I also revise the steps so that the breading ends up on the meat, not on your hands.
- Place flour and eggs in separate bowls. Place panko on 1 side of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. (The dish’s large, flat surface will allow you to evenly coat the chops while allowing space for your hands. In addition, the dish’s tall sides will contain the panko as you apply it.)
- Flour each prepped chop, placing it on cutting board once it’s coated.
- Individually dip each floured chop first in egg, then in panko. Use your “egg” hand to pick up each floured chop, dip it into egg, and transfer it to panko.
- Use your other, “panko” hand to bury chop in panko and press crumbs very firmly into place.
Shallow-Fry the Smart Way
Tonkatsu recipes call for either deep or shallow frying. We chose the latter because it’s faster and less messy and requires less oil.
For even cooking, use Cast Iron
To cook the pork evenly and to ensure that the panko at the sides browns, the oil needs to come two-thirds of the way up the chops. A 12-inch cast-iron skillet (or a straight-sided sauté pan) works well since its tall, straight sides allow you to use less oil—only ¾ cup—than a flared-sided skillet would require to reach the same depth.
For even browning, Lift During Frying
During shallow frying, meat sits on the bottom of the pan. If the surface of the meat isn’t perfectly flat—and it rarely is—pockets of steam will collect underneath it that prevent browning. As the chops fry, use tongs to lift them slightly, allowing steam to escape for better browning and crisping.
For the Crunchiest Chops, Lean and Rest
Japanese chefs use specialized tonkatsu racks to hold the fried pork in a vertical position while it rests. This way, any juices that seep out will flow downward and moisten only the thin bottom edge; the remainder will stay beautifully crisp. You can get the same effect using an overturned loaf pan. Prop the chops up against the pan on their thin sides.
