When I crave comfort food, I immediately think of a fresh bowl of katsudon. The perfectly fried pork cutlet topped with a mixture of sweet onions, eggs, and dashi broth satisfies my craving every time.
Katsu is traditionally prepared with pork chops or pork loin however, I personally prefer using a fattier cut of meat, like pork shoulder (or Boston butt). Since it has more fat and marbling, it results in a tender, juicy cutlet. Pork chops or pork loin are also easy to overcook and nothing’s worse than overcooked meat in my opinion!
Pork Katsudon Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pork shoulder (Boston butt) substitute with pork chop or loin
- 2 cups short-grain rice cooked
- 1/2 onion thinly sliced
- 1 green onion whites and greens separated
- 2 eggs
- neutral oil for frying
Broth
- 1 cup dashi stock see note 1
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
Dredge
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Egg Batter
- 2 eggs
Panko Coating
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Place the pork shoulder on a cutting board and lay out a sheet of plastic wrap on top. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound the pork into 1/2 inch thickness.
- Remove the plastic wrap then sprinkle a pink of salt on both sides of the pork.
- For the dredge, combine all-purpose flour, salt, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a shallow plate or bowl. Mix until well combined.
- For the egg batter, whisk two eggs in a shallow dish or bowl.
- For the panko coating, combine panko breadcrumbs, salt, and paprika in a shallow dish or bowl. Mix until combined.
- Place the pork in the dredge, making sure it's complete coating. Shake off the excess flour then transfer it to the egg batter.
- Once fully coated in the egg batter, transfer to the panko coating. Press the panko coating down to adhere to the pork on both sides.
- Heat a deep pan or pot with about 2 inches of neutral oil to 350F (175C).
- Carefully place the pork into the hot oil. Make sure to place it down in the direction away from you so the oil doesn't splatter.
- Fry for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown with an internal temperature of 145F (62C).
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Optional, but you can sprinkle the top with some flakey salt for extra flavor!
- While the pork is resting, combine 1 1/4 cup water and 1 dashi packet in a small pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove the dashi packet and set the broth aside.
- Transfer half the dashi broth (about 1/2 cup) into a small shallow pan. Add 1 tablespoon mirin, 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Mix until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add 1/2 of the sliced onions and the white part of the green onions to the pan. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions have softened.
- Crack and whisk one egg into a bowl. Pour the egg into the pan in a circular motion making sure the egg completely covers the pan. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute to your desired doneness.
- To prepare the rice bowl, add 1 cup of cook short-grain rice to a bowl. Chop the cooked pork katsu into slices and place on top of the rice.
- Top the pork katsu with the dashi, onion, and egg mixture. Garnish with the green part of the green onions. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- To prepare the dashi broth, I used a dashi packet with 1 cup of water (for 2 servings). However, you can substitute the dashi packet with dashi powder instead. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil then add 1/2 tsp of dashi powder. Mix to dissolve and it’s ready!
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