Pork Cutlet Sandwich
Quick answer
- Total time
- 38 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 11
About this dish
Katsu sando is a Japanese sandwich built around a thick pork loin cutlet breaded in flour, egg, and panko, then deep-fried at 170C until the exterior turns a deep, even gold.
Read more
The cutlet rests on soft milk bread generously spread with tonkatsu sauce, and a layer of shredded cabbage dressed in mayonnaise goes in between. The contrast between the cutlet's rigid panko crust and the yielding bread is what defines the sandwich, while the mayo-dressed cabbage absorbs some of the richness and keeps the whole thing from feeling heavy. Wrapping the assembled sandwich firmly in plastic wrap and resting it for three minutes gives the sauce time to soak into the bread, producing a clean cross-section when cut. Draining the cutlet upright for a minute after frying removes surface oil and prevents the bread from going soggy. Using fine-ground fresh panko rather than dried gives the crust a slightly denser, more refined texture.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Pound 240 g pork loin to an even thickness, then make small cuts through any firm edge sinew so it stays flat.
Season both sides with 2 g salt and 1 g black pepper, and let it stand for 5 minutes.
- 2Control
Coat the pork lightly with 40 g flour, shaking off loose flour so the crust does not become pasty.
Dip it in 1 beaten egg, then press on 80 g panko firmly until the surface is evenly covered.
- 3Control
Heat 400 ml frying oil to 170C, or until a crumb of panko rises quickly with steady bubbles.
Fry over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, adjusting the heat so the crust turns evenly golden without dark spots.
- 4Prep
Do not lay the fried cutlet flat right away.
Stand it upright for 1 minute so surface oil drains off; the crust should stay crisp and dry enough that it will not make the milk bread soggy.
- 5Prep
Shred 80 g cabbage very finely, and gently press out moisture if it looks wet.
Toss it with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise just until lightly coated and slightly softened, keeping enough crunch to balance the fried cutlet.
- 6Season
Spread 3 tablespoons tonkatsu sauce across the inner sides of 4 milk bread slices, then sandwich the cutlet and cabbage.
Wrap each sandwich firmly in plastic wrap for 3 minutes, press the bread edges lightly, and slice in half cleanly.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Katsu sando tucks a thick, gold-fried pork loin cutlet between slices of soft milk bread.
- Finish cue
- Fry over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, adjusting the heat so the crust turns evenly golden without dark spots.
- Avoid this
- Do not lay the fried cutlet flat right away.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
38min, 11 ingredients
Category median
48min, 8 ingredients
Based on 247 recipes
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