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Japanese Dinner Tonight: Tonkatsu


I love Japanese food, and I just picked up a great cookbook from the library that has helped me produce 3 wonderfully delicious Japanese and Chinese dinners over the past week!  Tonight I made tonkatsu, breaded pork cutlets pan-fried to deliciousness (though I used turkey cutlets instead, because they were on sale).  I served the crispy breaded cutlets on top of a bed of cabbage, with a sweet sauce on top that reminded my husband of an Asian-infused barbecue sauce.  On the side we had tomato wedges, brown Japanese rice, and tamagoyaki--a slightly sweet Japanese style egg omelet, often times served in sushi. My hungry stomach was oh so happy with the results, and my husband was pleased as well.  I had no complaints whatsoever about dinner tonight, and that is a big deal for me! 
I have posted the recipe below for your enjoyment :).   

Our dinner.  Tonkatsu, shredded cabbage, rice, tomato wedges, and tamagoyaki. So delicious! (Sorry for the poor photo quality!)

Tonkatsu Recipe
(adapted from The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen by Laura B. Russell)
Serves 4
Tonkatsu Sauce:
1/3 cup ketchup
4 tsp tamari (you can substitute soy sauce)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/8 tsp ground allspice
Combine all of the ingredients above in a small bowl, and stir until smooth.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Tonkatsu:
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 eggs
3 cups cornflakes, crushed into crumbs
4 boneless pork cutlets, 1/2-inch thick (I used 5 cutlets, 14.5 oz total)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp oil, plus more if needed
shredded cabbage
Lemon wedges (optional)
Set three wide bowls on the counter and put the cornstarch in the first, the beaten eggs in the second, and the crushed cornflakes in the third.  Season the cutlets with salt and pepper to taste, and then coat each cutlet with the cornstarch, then the egg, and then the cornflakes.  Transfer the cutlet to a wire rack that is on top of a cookie sheet.  Repeat with remaining cutlets. 
Heat 1 1/2 Tbsp oil over medium heat in a large non-stick fry pan.  Cook the cutlets in the hot pan for about 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.  Serve the hot cutlets over a bed of shredded cabbage, drizzled with sauce and lemon juice, if desired.  Eat with rice on the side. 
Tamagoyaki
(This site had a great tutorial on how to make this: Easy Tamagoyaki, and is where I adapted this recipe from).
2 eggs
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp tamari (or soy sauce)
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until frothy.
Heat a non-stick fry pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Pour eggs into pan (you don't want them to sizzle loudly when they enter the pan; if they do, turn down the heat a little).  Tilt the pan around for a couple of seconds to spread the egg out evenly.  Wait for the egg to cook a little, until it is opaque and bubbling up from underneath slightly.  Use a wide spatula and flip about one inch of the egg over on top of itself.  Continue rolling the egg until it's all rolled.  Allow the residual heat to cook the inside of the egg.  Slice and serve however your heart desires!!



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