Tonkatsu

Ingredients

• 2 boneless pork loin chops, about 180g each and 2cm thick
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 40g plain flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp neutral oil, for the egg wash
• 100g panko breadcrumbs
• Neutral oil for frying, about 800ml
• 1/4 head white cabbage (about 250g)
• 4 tbsp tonkatsu sauce
• 1 tsp Japanese hot mustard (karashi)
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 300g hot cooked short-grain rice

Before you cook

• Shred the cabbage as finely as you can with a sharp knife or mandoline, then drop it into a bowl of iced water for 10 minutes to crisp it.
• Score the fat rim of each chop every 2cm, cutting just through into the meat.
• Pound the chops lightly with the flat of a heavy knife to even out the thickness, then push them back into shape.
• Season both sides with the salt and white pepper and leave them for 10 minutes.
• Beat the egg with the teaspoon of oil and a tablespoon of water in a shallow dish.
• Put the flour in one shallow dish and the panko in another.
• Drain the cabbage and spin or pat it thoroughly dry.

Steps

1. Dust a chop all over in flour and slap off every loose speck.
2. Turn the chop through the egg wash until it is glossy on all sides, including the edges.
3. Lay the chop in the panko and press the crumbs on firmly with your palm, then turn and repeat until the coating is thick and even.
4. Coat the second chop the same way and leave both on a rack for 5 minutes so the crust sets.
5. Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to 170C, using a thermometer.
6. Lower one chop into the oil away from you and fry for 90 seconds without touching it.
7. Turn the chop over and fry for another 90 seconds, then raise the heat to bring the oil to 180C.
8. Fry for a final 60 seconds until the crust is a deep even gold, then lift the chop onto a wire rack standing on its edge.
9. Bring the oil back to 170C and fry the second chop in exactly the same way.
10. Rest both chops on the rack for 4 minutes so the centre finishes cooking.
11. Slice each chop crossways into 2cm strips, cutting straight down so the crust does not tear.
12. Pile the shredded cabbage onto two plates and lay the sliced pork alongside.
13. Add a lemon wedge and a small blob of karashi to each plate, pour the tonkatsu sauce into two little dishes, and serve with the hot rice.