Directions

What I found very interesting is that I searched a half-dozen popular Hawaii cookbooks and found no mention of either chicken katsu or pork katsu!  As popular a dish as this is, I was very surprised not to find a recipe.  I know its one of my family's favorites.

So, here's my personal recipe for making the popular Japanese dish.

Start with pork cutlets or boneless chicken breasts that have been sliced thinly.   Place the pork or chicken between wax paper or clear wrap and use a meat pounder (a can of vegetables can do, if you don't have one) and flatten the cutlets to 1/4" thickness.  This not only breaks down the connective tissues, but also makes them thin to be fried quickly.  [Tip: Work your way from the center out to the edges.]

The flour and panko should be spread out in separate dishes large enough to lay the cutlets onto.  You can lightly salt the flour if you wish, but its not really necessary.

Dip the cutlets into an egg wash (made by scrambling an egg and 2 tablespoons of milk), then into the flour and shake off any excess flour,  for a light dusting.

Take the flour coated cutlets and dip them back into the egg wash and press them firmly into the panko (Japanese bread crumbs) to make them stick to the cutlets.

Heat a frying pan with a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil on medium heat and fry until a golden brown...about 2-3 minutes per side.

Slice the cutlets into 1/2 inch wide pieces and serve with rice.  Drizzle the cutlets with Tonkatsu sauce, which you can pick up in the Asian sections of most major super markets and serve some on the side as a dipping sauce.

This recipe should make 4 cutlets, adjust amounts accordingly.

*If you are unable to find Tonkatsu sauce in the Asian section, you can try this simplistic version.  Suggest that you make this ahead of time.

1/2 cup ketchup

2 Tablespoons worchestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon soy sauce  (Optional)

1 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute (Optional)

1 Tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet wine)

1/2 tsp dry mustard

Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for at least couple of hours to let the flavors meld.  Can be kept in an airtight bottle, refrigerated for up to a month.