The Feral Cooks are big fans of tonkatsu and particularly, katsudon. What’s not to love about panko-breaded, deep-fried pork. Traditional tonkatsu is made from the rather fatty—as cut in Japan—pork cutlet (“katsu” is Japanese for the English “cutlet), and using pork tenderloin is the opposite of a cutlet, with it being ultra-lean.
The thing is, using tenderloin for tonkatsu works perfectly, as it’s always tender and nearly impossible to make tough, even from over-cooking. The only downside is the tenderloin cross sections are comparatively small—more like a medallion—so you need to make more of them.
The Feral Cooks were far less enthusiastic about the miso sauce. Yes, it has tons of umami, but miso is very salty—indeed, the sauce seemed too salty, even when cut with maple syrup and extra mirin. I’d stick to traditional tonkatsu sauce next time.
What you’ll need for the tonkatsu
- 1 lb. pork tenderloin (as wide of one as you can find) cut into 0.75-inch-thick medallions
- Salt and pepper
- 0.33 cups flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup panko
- Neutral oil for deep-frying
- Handful of shredded green cabbage (for serving)
- Lemon wedges, optional
What you’ll need for the miso sauce (make ahead of the tonkatsu)
- 0.25 cups red miso
- 3T mirin
- 2T sake
- 1T maple syrup (to cut the saltiness)
- 0.5t brown sugar
What to do for the miso sauce
Whisk all the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, after which, turn down the heat and gently simmer the mixture for about 20 minutes, stirring often to prevent scorching. For this recipe, pour a measured amount over the tonkatsu medallions right before serving.
What to do for the tonkatsu
Begin heating your frying oil to 350 degrees F.
For each piece you’re going to fry, put between sheets of wax paper and pound thinner, if you wish. I didn’t for these medallions, as they’re already really tender. Season both sides of each piece with salt and pepper.
Dredge, in turn, each piece of pork in flour, shaking off the extra, then dip it in the beaten egg before coating each side and the edges with panko. Set on a plate until they’re all ready to fry.
Fry the medallions, 3 or 4 at a time, depending on the size of your cooking vessel, for 3.5 – 4 minutes. Don’t worry too much about overcooking, as pork tenderloin is really forgiving. Remove from the oil and drain on a rack before putting the pieces on a bed of cabbage. Spoon a bit of the miso sauce or tonkatsu sauce over the medallions before serving hot.
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