カツドンKatsudon
The Japanese cut-cutlet-over-rice bowl: a breaded, deep-fried pork loin (the batter and fry half), the marinated soy-and-mirin tsuyu (the salt-and-sweet half), the egg (the fat half), and the plain rice (the balance of the bowl against the crisp, even, deep gold cutlet). The whole dish is the bread-and-fry decision (the breaded cutlet) and the marinate-and- reduce decision (the tsuyu), with the egg and the plain rice the balance of the plate.
Technique notes
Katsudon is a bread-and-fry dish with a marinate and a reduce (the tsuyu). The three layers are the breaded cutlet (the bread-and-fry half), the marinated tsuyu (the salt-and-sweet half), and the rice (the clean, plain, balance half of the bowl). The bread-and-fry is the battering and fry decision, the marinated tsuyu is the marinate and the reduce decision, and the plain rice is the balance of the bowl against the crisp, even, deep gold cutlet.
Equipment
- A heavy, flat, non-stick pan, for the tsuyu (a 24–28 cm)
- A deep, heavy pot, for the deep fry (a 2 litre, with 750 ml of the oil)
- A flat, clean board, for the knife work of the cutlet
Ingredients
- 2 pork loin cutlets (about 150 g each), 1 cm thick — the knife work of the cutlet
- 50 g plain flour (all-purpose), for the batter
- 2 eggs, beaten, for the batter
- 100 g panko (the Japanese bread crumb), for the batter
- 750 ml vegetable oil, for the deep fry
- For the tsuyu (the marinated sauce):
- 30 ml soy sauce — the salt half of the balance
- 30 ml mirin — the sweet half of the balance
- 15 ml dashi (or, for the plain version, cold water) — the umami half of the balance
- 1 5 cm piece of scallion, cut into 5 mm pieces on the diagonal — the fragrance of the tsuyu
- 100 g Napa cabbage, shredded fine and even — the knife work and the water edge of the tsuyu
- 1 egg, for the fat half of the tsuyu
- 400 g cooked plain rice — the clean, plain rice plate that sets the edge against the salt-and-sweet of the marinated tsuyu
Method
- The cutlet, battered. The 2 1 cm thick cutlets, and with a knife work of the cut, cut the cutlets into even, 2 cm thick pieces. Dredge the cutlets in the 50 g of the batter (the bread crumb), then the 2 beaten eggs, and then the 100 g of the panko, and press the panko into the cutlets so the batter holds the cutlet. This is the bread-and-fry decision, and the one that sets the shape of the cutlet.
- The cutlet, deep-fried. Into a deep, heavy pot, the 750 ml of oil, and a 170 °C heat. The 2 battered cutlets, and a 4–5 min, until the batter is a clean, even, deep gold and the cutlet is through. Pull the cutlets out, and a 2 min rest on a clean board. This is the bread-and-fry decision, and the one that sets the crisp, even, deep gold half of the cutlet against the marinated tsuyu.
- The tsuyu, marinated. Into a clean, heavy, flat, non-stick pan, the 30 ml of the soy, the 30 ml of the mirin, the 15 ml of the dashi, the 5 mm pieces of the scallion, and the shredded cabbage, and a 1 min of the reduce, until the tsuyu is a clean, even, salt-and-sweet balance. This is the marinated tsuyu, and the marinate and the reduce decision.
- The egg, pan-heat-set. Into the marinated tsuyu, the 1 egg, and a 30 s of the pan-heat, until the egg is a single, even, glossy, fat half of the tsuyu. This is the fat half of the balance of the tsuyu, and the one that sets the balance of the marinated tsuyu against the clean, plain rice plate.
- The plate, assembled. On the clean, plain rice plate, a serving of the 400 g of the plain rice, and the 2 pieces of the breaded, deep-fried cutlets on top, with the marinated tsuyu (the salt-and-sweet of the marinated tsuyu, and the fat half of the tsuyu) poured over the top. The balance of the plate against the crisp, even, deep gold cutlet and the clean, plain rice plate.
Common failures
- The cutlet is a dry, stringy, fried mess. The cutlet ran long in the deep fry (step 2), or the batter was too thick, so the cutlet is a dry, stringy, fried mess instead of a clean, even, deep gold cutlet. The bread-and-fry decision is the window, and the 4–5 min is the clean, even, deep gold, not the 2 min of the overcook.
- The tsuyu is a flat, sweet mess, with no salt. The soy in the marinated tsuyu was under-done (step 3), or the dashi was under-done, so the tsuyu is a flat, sweet, sweet mess instead of a clean, even, salt-and-sweet balance. The salt half of the balance is the salt of the soy, and the sweet half of the balance is the sweet of the mirin.
- The egg is a sweet note, with no salt. The egg was under-set (step 4), or the marinated tsuyu was under-done, so the egg is a sweet note without the salt. The pan-heat decision is the window, and the 30 s is the single, even, glossy half, not the 2 min of the overcook.
Variations & substitutions
- A "chicken" (chikudon) version. The same bread-and-fry decision and the same marinated tsuyu, but the pork is swapped for the 2 chicken thighs, and the batter and the fry is the bread-and-fry decision.
- A "plain, soy-and-mirin-only" version. The same bread-and-fry decision, but the dashi is dropped from the marinated tsuyu, and the balance of the marinated tsuyu is the salt of the soy and the sweet of the mirin, without the umami of the dashi.
- A "no-egg" version. The same bread-and-fry decision, but the egg is dropped, and the balance of the marinated tsuyu is the salt-and-sweet of the marinated tsuyu, without the fat half of the egg.
What to serve with it
This is the bread-and-fry decision of the section — the breaded, deep-fried cutlet, the marinated tsuyu, and the clean, plain rice plate that sets the edge against the salt-and-sweet of the marinated tsuyu. It pairs with the gaeng som (the acid version of the same balance) and the khao man gai (the rice plate against the seared cutlet, the same salt-and-sweet balance family). A clean, simple plate of onigiri is the "cut" against the salt-and-sweet marinated tsuyu of the katsudon.
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Back to Japanese · Techniques (frying, marinating, sauces 101, rice, knife skills, pan heat)