If you like rice bowls, you're either a fan of this Katsudon already, or you're about to become one! This is one of the most famous rice bowls in Japan. It's so popular now, you can find it all over Asia! Not to brag, but my family ( I mean, including our extended family across all 3 generations) LOVES the Katsudon I make. And let me tell you, my family knows food!
One of the secrets is that I don't use conventional pork. I always get Kurobuta ( Berkshire) pork for this dish. (Kurobuta pork is a special kind of black pork that's specifically raised for its flavor and texture. It's super flavorful, tender and juicy. It's the wagyu in the pork world. If you've never tried it, it's time! Here is where I get mine!) On top of that, everyone in my family has their own opinion on how this rice bowl should be served for better taste! Well, as the Iron Home Chef in this family, I came up with some twists to accommodate everyone's fine palate! I'm sharing with you because I think you'd like it, too!
The traditional way to serve the Katsudon is that you deep fry the pork cutlet first, make the sauce, cook the pork chop in the sauce for a little bit, then add the beaten egg mixture on top of the pork chop. You cover the lid to let the egg cook to your desire doneness, then pour the whole pork chop and sauce mixture on top of a big bowl of rice. But my family thinks that way, your crispy deep fried pork chop will turn too soggy, and lose that crunchy texture that we love. One side of my family thinks we should cook the egg in the sauce, pour the egg gravy sauce on top of the rice, then put the pork chop on the side or on top. This way, the gravy can be well mixed in the rice and make the rice flavorful and delicious, while you still can enjoy the perfect deep fried texture of your pork chop. The other side of the family thinks that we should kind of stick with the traditional way, but make a little twist to it, so we can have the benefit of both worlds. For this method, we put the pork chop on top of the rice, then pour on the egg gravy sauce. This way, the pork chop will absorb some of the sauce as the traditional way, but still keep part of the crunchy texture.
When it comes to food, it's all so personal. There's no absolute right or wrong way to do it. When you're doing it in your own kitchen, you're the boss. You make it whichever way that makes you and your family happy! So ... what will be your way?
Ingredients:
To marinade the pork chop:
- Kurobuta Pork Chop x 1 lb
- Salt x ½ tsp
- White pepper x ¼ tsp
For egg gravy sauce:
- Onion x ¼ (Thinly sliced)
- Green onion x 2 (Slice diagonally into short spears, separate the green and the white part)
- Oil x 1.5 tbsp
- Water/Japanese broth x 1 cup
- Mirin x 1 tbsp
- Hondashi x ¼ tsp
- Salt x ½ tsp
- Eggs x 4
For breading:
- Flour x 3 tbsp
- Japanese bread crumbs x 12 tbsp? For 4 pork chops
- Egg x 1 large + ½ tbsp water
Cooking oil for deep frying
Recipe:
- Cut the pork chop to about 2 cm thick. Then with a tenderizer, pound it evenly to about 1 cm thick.
- Season each pork chop (both sides) with salt and white pepper; let sit for 15-30 minutes
- Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, heat up some cooking oil. Put in sliced onions and the white part of the green onions, sauté for about 1 minute. Then add in mirin, water/Japanese broth, hondashi, and salt. Bring to boil. Taste to adjust seasoning. Then turn the heat off and let it sit on the side for the onions to release more flavor.
- Prepare your breading station. Bread the marinaded pork chop with flour, then egg, then the panko. Make sure the flour layer is light, and the panko layer is well packed!
- Heat oil to 325F, and put in the pork chop. Deep fried in medium to medium low heat, to make sure the pork chop can be fully cooked before it's golden brown. Each pork chop takes about 5 minutes. Removed the pork chop and set aside on a drying rack.
- Back to the sauce. I like to prepare one serving at a time. So, prepare a smaller sauce pan, ladle in about ⅓ cup of the pre-made sauce (step 3), then add in some of the green part of the green onions, and bring to boil. Once it's boiled, slowly pour in one beaten egg and cooked until your desire doneness.
- Prepare a bowl of rice, then assemble the rice bowl.
* Rice --> Egg gravy sauce --> Pork chop, or
*Rice --> Pork chop --> Egg gravy sauce
Ingredients I used:
Crowd Cow for Kurobuta Pork : https://shrsl.com/30m0t
Panko : https://amzn.to/3gqsRLj
GF Panko : https://amzn.to/3cwDjQ5
GF flour : https://amzn.to/3cwDjQ5
Rice Bran Oil : https://amzn.to/3g7u5fl
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