Japanese Meat Recipes - Fried Pork Cutlets on Rice

Ingredients

• 4 cups (600 g) cooked rice

• 4 sprigs mitsuba or parsley, to garnish (optional)

• Prepared Japanese mustard, to serve

• Tonkatsu sauce, to serve (optional)

Pork Cutlets

• 1 lb (500 g) pork loin or pork steaks, preferably with the fat left on

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

• Oil, for deep-frying

Sauce

• 3 medium onions, thinly sliced

• 2 teaspoons oil

• 1 cup (250 ml) Basic Dashi Stock (refer recipe) or 1/2 teaspoon dashi stock granules dissolved in 1 cup (250 ml) hot water

• 4 tablespoons mirin

• 4 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce

• 4 teaspoons sugar

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (optional)

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Method:

1. Prepare the Pork Cutlets first by cutting the pork loin into four steaks. Make small incisions along the fatty edges to prevent the steaks from curling during frying. Season the meat lightly with salt and pepper, dust with cornstarch on both sides, dip in the beaten egg and then press into the bread crumbs. Heat the oil in a wok or a saucepan until moderately hot. Deep-fry the crumb-coated cutlets until light golden brown and cooked, for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

2. To prepare the Sauce, heat the oil in a skillet and fry the onions for 2 minutes. Remove the onions and set aside. Add the dashi stock, mirin, soy sauce and sugar in a pan. Stir and simmer on high heat for 5 minutes. Add the onions, stir and remove the skillet from the heat. Add the beaten eggs, if using and stir gently. Set aside.

3. Scoop the rice into four large bowls and pour the Sauce and onions over it. Place a cutlet into each bowl, garnish with the mitsuba or parsley. Serve hot, accompanied with pickles of your choice (see pickles recipe), mustard and tonkatsu sauce, if desired.