Description
How to make the ultimate donburi dish, Katsudon. Fluffy Japanese white rice topped with a crispy pork cutlet, juicy onions and sweet dashi flavoured egg. (Doesn't include rice cooking time - see here for how to cook Japanese style rice.) Serves 2
Ingredients
For the Katsu
- 2 boneless pork chops
- 2 pinches salt & pepper
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp milk
- 50g panko breadcrumbs (approx 1/2 cup)
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Katsudon
- 5g kombu (dried kelp)
- 150ml water
- 1/2 white onion
- 50ml mirin
- 10g light brown sugar
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder (I use yuki garasupu)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 2 bowls of cooked Japanese short grain rice (approx 300g)
- "Mitsuba" Japanese wild parsley (optional garnish)
Instructions
Make kombu dashi
- Take a jug and submerge 5g of kombu in 150ml of cold water. Soak for 30 mins to 1 hour or until the kombu has rehydrated.
Katsu
- Preheat oil to 17oC (340F).
- Make incisions in the fatty parts of the pork to prevent curling and sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on each side.
- Pound the pork chops to tenderize the meat, they should be about 2cm thick.
- In a wide container, add 1 egg, 1 tsp of vegetable oil and 1 tbsp of milk. Whisk thoroughly.
- Prepare two more plates or containers, one with flour and one with the panko breadcrumbs.
- Coat the pork with flour on both sides, brush off any excess.
- Next, dip them into the egg mixture.
- Finally, transfer the pork to the panko and coat all over. Press the surface lightly to secure the panko.
- Test the oil temperature with a crumb of panko, if it sizzles and floats then the oil is ready. Carefully place the coated pork into the oil and cook for about 4 minutes on each side (8 minutes total) or until golden brown. When the oil stops making a crackling sound, that usually means they're ready.
- Place the katsu on a wire rack to let the excess oil drain off.
- Cut into 2cm slices and set aside for later.
Donburi
- Cut the onions into wedges.
- Once the kombu is rehydrated, place a saucepan on the stove and pour in the contents of the jug. Turn on the heat to a low setting and slowly bring to almost boiling (small bubbles will appear around the edge, but don't let it boil).
- Remove the kombu and add 50ml mirin, 10g light brown sugar, 1 tsp of chicken bouillon powder and mix.
- Add the onion to the pan and turn up the heat to medium, cook until the onion is softened.
- Add 2 tbsp of soy sauce and stir to distribute it, then lay the katsu over the top.
- Separate 3 eggs into two bowls and whisk the whites.
- Pour the egg whites around the pan (don't add the yolks yet).
- Place a lid on the pan and allow the eggs to steam for about 1 minute.
- Lightly whisk the egg yolks and then pour them around the pan.
- Place the lid back on and turn off the heat. Allow the egg to cook in the residual heat until it's cooked to your preferred firmness.
- Dish up the rice into serving bowls and place the katsu and egg mixture on top.
- Garnish with Japanese wild parsley "mitsuba" (optional).
- Enjoy!
Notes
If you decide to substitute the kombu dashi for instant dashi, reduce the water to 100ml.
You can use chicken or beef instead of pork for the katsu.
The egg should be a little runny in this dish but if you prefer it well cooked you can cook for a bit longer.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Soaking Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Rice Bowl
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: How to make Japanese Katsudon,Japanese katsudon recipe,tonkatsu ricebowl,what is the difference between katsudon and tonkatsukatsu,Japanese tonkatsu donburi recipe,Japanese katsu recipe,crispy katsu,donburi,pork cutlet rice bowl,katsu don, katsudon from scratch, easy katsudon, pork katsudon, pork cutlet katsudon, pork katsudon recipe, katsudon from scratch,