Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu is a pork cutlet coated in flour, beaten egg and panko breadcrumbs, then deep-fried until golden. It is one of the best-known Japanese yōshoku dishes, the Western-style cooking adapted in Japan during the Meiji period.

What it really is

The cutlet is a boneless pork loin or pork tenderloin cutlet, pounded or scored to tenderise it, dredged in wheat flour, dipped in beaten egg, and coated in coarse panko. It is deep-fried in oil until the crust is golden and the centre is just cooked. The cutlet is rested briefly, sliced across the grain, and served with finely shredded cabbage. The sauce is a thick, sweet and tangy brown sauce, similar to Worcestershire-style sauce, applied at the table. Rice, miso soup and pickles usually accompany it.

Tonkatsu is often confused with other Japanese breaded cutlets. Katsu-don is the same cutlet simmered with egg and onion over rice, not a separate cutlet. Chicken katsu uses chicken instead of pork, and kushikatsu is small pieces of various ingredients skewered and fried. Tonkatsu itself is specifically the pork version.

How it's served

• Sliced into strips and arranged on a plate, with shredded cabbage on the side.
• Eaten with tonkatsu sauce, which is spooned over the sliced cutlet or served in a small dish for dipping.
• Accompanied by steamed rice, miso soup and pickled vegetables.
• Often eaten with mustard or grated sesame as optional condiments.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the cut as pork loin or pork tenderloin and state that it is panko-breaded and deep-fried.
• List allergens: wheat (flour and panko), eggs, and soy and wheat from the sauce.
• State whether the cutlet is served with tonkatsu sauce, and whether the cabbage is included.
• Offer a chicken version (chicken katsu) as a variant if the pork is not used, and name it clearly.