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Katsu sando

Pork cutlet sandwich

Katsu sando (カツサンド): Tokyo pork cutlet sandwich with tonkatsu sauce and cabbage

Katsu 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
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Ingredients

Serves2

For the cutlets

For the sandwiches

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What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (4)

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Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 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.

  2. Step 2: Coat in 1 oz plain flour, then 1 egg, then press firmly into 2 ⅛ oz panko breadcrumbs.

  3. 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 min
  4. Step 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).

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

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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