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Katsu sando
Katsu sando (カツサンド): Tokyo pork cutlet sandwich with tonkatsu sauce and cabbage
JapaneseKatsu sando began in Tokyo tonkatsu shops in the 1930s as a cutlet you could carry, and is now a fixture of department-store food halls, train-station kiosks and lunchboxes all over Japan: a crisp panko pork loin cutlet soaked in sweet-sour tonkatsu sauce between pillowy white bread, crusts trimmed off. The common mistake is slicing it while hot, which squashes the bread and makes it soggy; let it rest under a light weight first. Pork loin is a whole cut, so cook it to 63 °C and rest it for 3 minutes. Chef's tip: butter the bread with a little mustard mixed in; it stops the sauce soaking through and adds a gentle kick.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the cutlets
- 2 boneless pork loin steaksabout 150 g each, 1.5 cm thick
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 oz plain flour
- 1 eggbeaten
- 2 ⅛ oz panko breadcrumbs
- 2 cups vegetable oilfor frying
For the sandwiches
- 4 slices soft white sandwich bread (shokupan)
- ½ oz soft butter
- 1 tsp English mustard
- 4 tbsp tonkatsu sauce
- 2 ⅛ oz white cabbagevery finely shredded
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Snip the fat on the edge of 2 boneless pork loin steaks in 3–4 places so it stays flat, then beat lightly with a rolling pin. Season with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper.
Step 2: Coat in 1 oz plain flour, then 1 egg, then press firmly into 2 ⅛ oz panko breadcrumbs.
Step 3: Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry the cutlets for 3 minutes a side until deep golden and the centre reaches 145°F. Rest on a rack for 3 minutes.
8 minStep 4: Mix ½ oz soft butter with 1 tsp English mustard and spread on one side of each slice of 4 slices soft white sandwich bread (shokupan).
Step 5: Brush both sides of each cutlet with 4 tbsp tonkatsu sauce. Lay 2 ⅛ oz white cabbage on 2 slices, top with a cutlet and close with the other slices.
Step 6: Wrap tightly in cling film and press under a light board for 5 minutes, then cut off the crusts and slice into three fingers. Keep cold if packing.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 780 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does katsu sando take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of ground black pepper?
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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