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Katsudon カツ丼

Katsudon is a classic Japanese comfort bowl with crispy pork cutlet, soft eggs, onion, and a savory-sweet dashi sauce served over hot rice. This cozy, satisfying meal is easy to make at home.
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Servings: 1 person
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pork loin chop
  • 1 tsp sake (to tenderize pork)
  • 1 tsp oil (to tenderize pork)
  • 1 tbsp flour (unbleached is recommended)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 4 tbsp Japanese breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1.5-2 cups oil (for frying)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tbsp sake (for sauce)
  • 1.5 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp dashi powder
  • 1/2 small onion
  • 1.5 cups cooked Japanese white rice

Method
 

  1. Take a pork loin chop from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Then make small shallow cuts along the borders of meat and fat. Also make shallow cuts into the meat on both sides, then gently beat the meat with a sharp knife to tenderize the surface.
  2. Rub 1/2 tsp of sake on each side, and leave for about 5 minutes.
  3. Slice 1/2 of a small onion.
  4. Rub 1/2 tsp of oil on each side of the meat.
  5. Line up flour, beaten egg, and Japanese breadcrumbs. Season both sides of the pork with salt and black pepper. Then cover the pork with flour, then dip in the beaten egg, and then roll in the breadcrumbs. Make sure the meat is fully coated.
  6. Heat the oil with medium to medium-high heat in a pan. Gently add the pork into the oil to fry. Do not touch for 2 to 3 minutes until the side turns golden-brown.
  7. Flip and fry the other side for another 2-3 minutes. If the pork chop is thicker, you may need to fry a little longer, but do not over-fry.
  8. Once both sides are golden-brown and the center of the pork is cooked, place them on a rack for a few minutes.
  9. Make the sauce: add 1/4 cup of water, 1 tbsp each of sake, mirin, soy sauce, 1.5 tsp of sugar, and 1 tsp of dashi powder in a small bowl, and mix all together well. You can open a dashi packet and take out the required dashi powder.
  10. Heat a small frying pan with medium heat and add the sauce. Add the onion and simmer for 4 -5 minutes until tender. Make sure some liquid remains after the onions are cooked.
  11. Place hot Japanese white rice in a large individual bowl, ready for serving.
  12. Beat 2 eggs in a bowl.
  13. Cut the tonkatsu into about 1/2 inch slices. Place them in the center of the pan over the cooked onions.
  14. Pour the raw beaten eggs around the tonkatsu. When the edges of the egg become set but the center is still runny, turn off the heat.
  15. Carefully serve everything over the hot Japanese white rice. Try to place the tonkatsu, egg, and onion neatly, so you can see all the delicious layers.
    It's ready!  We hope you enjoy your "TOKYO FLAVORS, NEW YORK STYLE" meal!  Itadakimasu!

Notes

  • Eggs: One large egg is enough to coat up to 4 small pork loin chops.
    If you have leftover beaten egg after coating, add it to the 2 eggs used for finishing the katsudon in the pan.
  • Rice: For best results, please watch our “Japanese White Rice” episode before cooking the rice for this dish.
  • Oil: Vegetable oil is most commonly used, but peanut oil or rice oil also work well.
  • Protein options: Traditional katsudon is made with pork, but you can substitute chicken thigh or chicken breast if you prefer.