Pork Katsu Sando (Sandwich) with 2 Homemade Sauces

First, cut the pork tenderloin block in half. Cut each piece through the middle lengthways until just over halfway through, open out both sides and flatten.

Then, use a knife to pound the meat evenly, changing directions frequently to ensure it is tender and thin. Once the meat is flattened out, sprinkle salt and pepper on top.

Fold and shape the tenderloin to match the size of your bread. If the shape is not quite square, you can cut off a piece of the scraps and use it to even out the shape.

The thickness should be around 1.5 to 2 cm (about 0.5-0.8 inches). If it’s thicker than that, you will have to increase the frying time, or worse, you will end up with raw in the center.

While it’s important to shape the pork nicely, the thickness is the most crucial factor to consider here.

After shaping the meat into two squares, wrap them in plastic wrap.

Place them in the freezer for a short time to firm them up, which will help them maintain their shape during cooking.

It’s important to note that this is not for freezing the meat entirely but rather for semi-freezing it.

The optimal time required for this process varies depending on the temperature of your freezer, but typically, it takes between 30 minutes and an hour. In my case, I left them in the freezer for 45 minutes.

While the pork is setting, you can prepare the sauce.

This recipe includes two sauce options: mustard sauce and red miso sauce. However, you don’t need to make both sauces. You can choose the one you prefer based on your own taste. If you decide to make just one, make sure to double the recipe quantities. By the way, the mustard sauce is the easier one to make.

To make red miso sauce, add dashi stock, red miso (hatcho miso) paste, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and light brown sugar to a cold saucepan. Mix all the ingredients well.

Place the pan on the stove and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the sauce until it becomes slightly thickened and glossy (approximately 5-10 minutes). Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

Remove the pan from the heat and mix in white sesame seeds.

On the other hand, to make mustard sauce, you simply need to mix Japanese mayonnaise, Japanese mustard, sugar, and black pepper in a small bowl. Stir well until all the ingredients are mixed thoroughly.

When the tenderloin is firm enough, it’s time to coat with batter!

To create the coating, you’ll need three containers or bowls. Add cake flour to the first container, beaten egg to the second container, and breadcrumbs to the third container.

Start by covering it with a thin layer of flour.

Next, coat with the beaten egg.

Finally, cover with breadcrumbs. Make sure to press the breadcrumbs firmly onto the batter to prevent them from peeling off.

We will use the twice-fried technique in this recipe to ensure the pork is cooked thoroughly inside. The worst thing that can happen is that the meat is still red inside when you cut it, which indicates that it has not been cooked enough.

Also, if you are using a regular-sized deep fryer instead of a large one, it is recommended to fry one katsu at a time. This will prevent the oil temperature from dropping too quickly and also avoid accidents such as the batter peeling off as the katsu hit each other.

Now, place the coated pork in preheated oil at 160°C (320°F) and fry for 4 minutes on each side, for a total of 8 minutes.

After frying the pork for eight minutes, remove it from the pot and place it on a wire rack. Let it rest for at least five minutes. The residual heat will help cook the pork slowly to the inside.

I suggest frying one piece of pork at a time and frying the second piece while the first piece rests. This way, the first piece will rest for eight minutes while you cook the second one. It’s an efficient use of time and helps prevent accidents.

Once the pork has been rested, increase the temperature of the deep-frying oil to 180°C (356°F) and deep-fry the pork again. This time, fry both sides for 1 minute each, for a total of 2 minutes.

The final result should be crispy pork after the second frying!

If using mustard mayo, drizzle the katsu with Worcestershire sauce.

Butter your bread on one side of each piece of bread. Top with a layer of your choice of sauce. In my case, I’m making one with mustard mayo and one with red miso.

Top one side with a generous helping of shredded cabbage.

Place the katsu on top of the cabbage, then close the sandwich and cut off the crusts (optional).

Cut the sandwiches in half, making sure to wipe the knife between each cut.

Enjoy!