Tonkatsu
Pork loin in panko, twice-fried until properly crisp, with shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce.
Contains: gluten (wheat), egg, soya
What tonkatsu is
Tonkatsu is a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet: ton for pork, katsu from the English 'cutlet'. It arrived in Japan in the late nineteenth century and has been comfort food there ever since. It is always panko rather than fine breadcrumb, which is why the crust is shaggy and light rather than sandy, and it is always served with raw shredded cabbage to cut the fat.
Want this cooked in your kitchen?
A chef comes to you and batch-cooks tonkatsu into four portions, alongside one or two other dishes, and leaves it portioned in your fridge. From £100 a visit.
Not sure yet? See what a visit costs.How we make it
Pork loin, crumbed in panko and twice-fried until properly crisp, sliced and served with finely shredded white cabbage and tonkatsu sauce. It is the original katsu, and the one the chicken version is copied from.
How it keeps, and how to reheat it
Keeps 3–4 days. The crust softens in the fridge, which is unavoidable with anything fried. Bring it back in a hot dry pan or an air fryer for a few minutes rather than the microwave, which steams the panko and leaves it soft. The cabbage is best eaten in the first day or two.
If you're doing the shopping
On the hybrid and you-shop options you buy the fresh ingredients. For four portions of tonkatsu, that's:
- 4 pork loin chops (approx 700g)
- 1 white cabbage (approx 360g)
- 2 eggs
- plain flour
- panko breadcrumbs
- oil for deep frying (approx 1 litre)
We bring the Japanese pantry (rice, cooking sake, miso, soy, dashi, mirin and the rest) on every option except you-shop. Compare the options.
