Anyone who’s had the eccentric pleasure of grabbing a bite from a Japanese convenience store will recognise this iconic sandwich! It’s been popping up on cafe menus all over Australia in recent years, often made with chicken, but in Japan it’s made with thick and juicy panko crumbed pork cutlets.
Equally thick slabs of fluffy white bread are the key to authenticity here, paired with shredded cabbage, classic tonkatsu BBQ sauce and hot mustard.
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Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Serves
2 people
Ingredients
2 x Linley Valley Pork Cutlets
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 cup plain flour
3 eggs
½ square loaf white bread unsliced
3 tbsp Bulldog Tonkatsu Sauce (HP or BBQ will work if you cannot find Tonkatsu)
1 tbsp hot English mustard
¼ white cabbage, finely shredded
1 lemon, juiced
sea salt
Rice bran or vegetable oil for frying
Method
Remove the bone from the pork cutlets by slicing lengthways along the edge of the bone. Lay the pork cutlets out on a large plate or tray. Sprinkle each side liberally with salt. Allow to sit for 15 minutes or until the salt dissolves. Squeeze lemon juice over the shredded cabbage.
Place the panko breadcrumbs, flour and eggs in separate large bowls. Dip each piece of pork into the flour, then egg and then coat in the breadcrumbs.
Pour about a centimetre depth of oil in a large frying pan, heat on medium. Cook the pork cutlets (in batches depending on the size of your pan) for about 7 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure an even golden colour. Drain on paper towel and season with a little bit of extra salt.
Cut 4 slices of bread, each approximately 3cm thick (they will look overly thick at this stage, but will be compressed later on). Evenly spread Tonkatsu sauce onto 2 slices, and hot mustard onto the other 2 slices. Add an even layer of cabbage, then top with the cooked pork cutlet and close the sandwich. Place a piece of baking paper followed by a heavy baking tray on top of the sandwiches. Press down gently and allow the sandwiches to ‘set’ for 10 minutes. Remove the tray and slice the crusts off, then slice the sandwiches in half to serve.
