Tonkatsu (Panko Pork Cutlet)
Thick, juicy pork loin coated in airy panko and fried golden, sliced and served the Tokyo way with a mound of finely shredded cabbage, a quick homemade tonkatsu sauce, rice and miso soup.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Crisp the cabbage
Soak the shredded cabbage in iced water so it turns crisp and sweet, then drain well.
Make the sauce
Stir the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and sugar together. Grind the sesame seeds and set them aside to stir in at the table.
Prepare the pork
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Fry
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Rest and slice
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Serve
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Crisp the cabbage
Soak the shredded cabbage in iced water so it turns crisp and sweet, then drain well.
Make the sauce
Stir the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and sugar together. Grind the sesame seeds and set them aside to stir in at the table.
Prepare the pork
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Fry
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Rest and slice
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
In 1899 the Tokyo restaurant Rengatei served a pan-fried pork cutlet inspired by the French côtelette. Over the following decades cooks thickened the cut and deep-fried it in Japanese style, and by the 1930s the dish was called tonkatsu — "ton" for pork, "katsu" from cutlet.
The shredded cabbage was a Rengatei innovation too: a fresh, cheap side that cut through the richness.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Specialist tonkatsu restaurants across Japan serve nothing else, with unlimited cabbage refills and sesame to grind at the table.
💡 Fun Fact
Rengatei, the restaurant credited with inventing the dish, still operates in Ginza today.
Ginza, Tokyo
35.67°N, 139.76°E
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