Tonkatsu pork

Breaded pork comes with a sauce made from tomato ketchup and the fire of ginger and mustard in this easy Japanese recipe.

Ingredients
For the tonkatsu sauce
125g/4½oz tomato ketchup (you can get Japanese ketchup, but any brand will do)
75ml/2½fl oz sake
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (Japanese is available if you can get it)
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tsp finely grated fresh root ginger
1 tsp Japanese mustard or Dijon (Japanese mustard tastes like a mixture of Dijon and English mustard)
2 tsp mirin (or more to taste)
1 tbsp sugar
For the pork
4 tbsp plain flour
2 free-range eggs, beaten
75g/2½oz Japanese panko breadcrumbs
pinch of salt and pepper
4 thick pork loin steaks
vegetable or groundnut oil, for frying
To serve
½ Chinese cabbage, shredded
spring onions, finely sliced

Method

1. For the sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for five minutes, or until the garlic and ginger are soft. You want the sauce to reach a good pouring consistency.

2. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a small bowl. It will be served at room temperature (so do not place in the fridge). Set to one side until ready to use

3. For the pork, place the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs in three individual dishes. Season the flour well with salt and pepper.

4. Coat each steak by first dipping into the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Re-dip each steak into the egg and breadcrumbs again – this creates an extra crisp coating.

5. Heat up a non-stick frying pan and pour the oil in for frying.

6. Shallow fry the cutlets on a medium heat until golden-brown on both sides and cooked all the way through – be careful when turning the cutlets to avoid splashing the hot fat.

7. Serve the pork with the tonkatsu sauce and raw the finely shredded Chinese cabbage and sliced spring onions.

Tonkatsu pork