Katsu Curry カツカレー
Ingredients:
for tonkatsu:
2 boneless pork loin chops
salt & pepper
2 tbsp plain flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
neutral-flavored oil (for deep frying, depends on pot/pan size)
for curry:
1 large carrot
2 yukon gold potatoes
1/4 onion
option 1: pre-made S&B Golden Curry cube + 4 cups of water
option 2: homemade curry (see recipe below)
1 cup uncooked rice (or 2-3 cups cooked rice)
fukujin-zuke pickles (for side, not pictured)
Instructions:
Cook rice (if starting with uncooked rice) - wash rice until water is clear, then cook in rice cooker or stovetop
Season & tenderize pork loin - pound the meat with a meat tenderizer or the back of a knife (in a crosshatch pattern), then season both sides with a generous amount of salt & pepper then leave in the fridge while preparing other steps
If using pre-made curry cubes, skip this step - prepare homemade curry as shown in the recipe below
Prepare vegetables for curry - peel and cut carrots & potatoes into small half-inch pieces (or to your preference) and cut onion into thick wedges, sauté vegetables for ~5 minutes, then add 4 cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat for 10-20 minutes (until you can skewer it easily with a chopstick or fork)
Finish curry - if using pre-made curry cubes, add the cube into the water with the vegetables and mix until well-combined; if using homemade curry below, transfer vegetables (without the water) to the curry and mix; keep on low heat and mix occasionally while preparing other steps (can add water if consistency is too thick)
Flour, egg, panko - take pork loin out of the fridge, first coat in flour, dip in whisked egg mixture, then dredge in panko (pressing gently) Tip: use one hand for dry ingredients (i.e. flour and panko) and the other hand for wet ingredients (i.e. egg) if planning to make multiple cutlets
Deep fry #1 - fill a pot with neutral-flavored oil and heat until ~350F, place breaded pork cutlet inside and cook for 60 seconds on each side, then remove and place on a wire rack or paper towel (do not cut open yet)
Deep fry #2 - once the cutlet has rested for 4 minutes, deep fry again for 30 seconds on each side (to check if cooked, poke with a chopstick to make sure the liquid is clear in color, not pink) and let rest for a few minutes
Serve it up - prepare a bed of rice, cut the cutlet into even pieces, place on the bed of rice, and ladle in some curry
Enjoy!
Homemade Curry Recipe
Ingredients (~4-6 servings):
30g S&B curry powder (can alternatively make your own curry spice blend, or add garam masala or cayenne pepper)
200g butter
72g all-purpose flour
1 qt chicken stock
4 dried shiitake mushroom
1 onion
1 apple
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp honey
Instructions:
Caramelize onions - first thinly slice the onion, then in a pot on low heat, melt 50g of butter and add in the onion, mix for ~20-30 minutes until caramelized (can add some water to de-glaze the pot if necessary)
Prepare chicken-shiitake stock - in a separate pot, add the dried shiitake mushroom and chicken stock, bring to a boil and keep on heat until the mushrooms are fully hydrated, then remove the mushrooms
Create first part of special curry booster - peel and grate an apple then add it to the caramelized onion pot, along with 1 tbsp of tomato paste, stir for a few minutes then remove to a separate bowl
Make simple curry roux - melt 100g of butter in the pot and add the 72g of flour, mixing for ~10-20 minutes until color turns brown, then add in 30g of curry powder, mixing for an additional minute
Add back special curry booster and finish the booster - add back the carmelized onion-apple-tomato paste mixture, 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp of worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp of honey and the chicken-shiitake stock, and mix until fully incorporated
Blend and strain - place contents into a blender, add final 50g of butter and blend until silky smooth, then pass through a strainer
Store - if using immediately, keep it warm on a stovetop, stirring often and season with salt
Enjoy!