Parallels Pt. 2- Katsu Sandowichi
Japan knows a good thing when it sees one.
Japan has an extraordinary history of looking outward for inspiration, and upon finding it, taking the original and making it distinctly Japanese. No other culture dances to and from, back and forth, across the thin line of globalism and isolationism with as much grace and intention as Japan, and the results are almost always remarkable.
The humble pork cutlet may be one of the earliest documented culinary examples of this phenomenon. In short, and note here that this summary is borderline offensive when we look at the evolution of Japanese cuisine, because it is one of the most dynamic and eclectic cuisines in the world, so please accept this as my acknowledgment and apology.
After a few hundred years of attempted colonization by just about everyone in Europe, the Japanese had enough and closed their borders to outside influence. Around 1868 during the Meiji Period things began to change.
In 1895 a Western Style restaurant called Rengatei, which is still serving guests today, was offering a version of the French dish Colette de Veau. A cutlet of veal, pan fried with butter and served with tourné carrots and potatoes in a veal stock reduction. Sounds fire right? It is, but after being on the menu for a few years, some enterprising cook had the idea that the dish could be prepared in a way that was more in line with Japanese tastes. The breadcrumbs were replaced by Panko, and instead of shallow frying the cutlet, the process of frying tempura (deep frying) was adopted, giving the cutlet a crispier texture and more moist interior.
Tonkatsu was born.
Enter Isen, a small tonkatsu shop in the Hanamachi area of Tokyo where Geisha were the prevalent working class. The shop owner, wanting to cater to their primary market put a slice of fried pork cutlet between two slices of bread “in the style of sushi”, then cut the sandwiches down, removing the exterior crust of the sandwich, so that it was more manageable to eat, and less likely to smudge the intricately applied lipstick of the working girls. Katsu Sando became a staple of the Japanese culinary pantheon, and over time was tinkered with and innovated to include everything from egg salad to cream cheese and fruit. Sandos, which is an Wasei-Eigo (English made in Japan) is the adopted English word meaning sandwich.
If you read my Parallels piece on the Breaded Pork Tenderloin, it’s easy to see that despite being a world away, the commonalities of how breaded cutlet of pork became a staple. The technique is different, the execution is mostly different, but the result is quite similar. The local agriculture almost always drives what a culture eats and ultimately calls its own, and in the hands of the inventive these staples can transcend foods that have been around much longer and had equal utility.
The variety of sands found in Japan and now globally give me someplace when I see people putting American cheese on their Breaded Pork Tenderloin. Just as one would find in Japan, there are always purists who will argue that a katsu sand is a fried pork cutlet on Japanese Milk Bread. Just as there are purists in Indiana who would argue that a Breaded Pork Tenderloin is a Pork cutlet, pounded out to about an inch larger than the diameter of the bun, fried, with pickles, onions, and mustard (who me?). As long as there people tinkering, the evolution of food is unstoppable. And in that spirit, I am reminded of the words of The Buddha. “Let that shit go”.
Katsu Sando
This recipe makes the simplest form of katsu sando. It’s most pure representation. You, being the enterprising cook may add or takeaway any accoutrement you see fit.
Yield 2
1 1/2 inch thick pork chop, trimmed of silverskin if necessary.
2 Eggs- Beaten
1 Ounce Sake
1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
Tonkatsu Sauce (Recipe Below)
4 Slices Japanese Milk Bread (I buy mine from One World or the Asian-French Bakery inside Sarah’s Castleton location.
Method:
Season the chops with salt and allow to sit at room temp while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
Heat a small pot of vegetable oil to 375 degrees over medium heat.
Whisk the sake into the eggs and beat. Add a pinch of salt.
Drop the chops into the egg. Toss them around so they are well coated.
Drop the chops into the panko, and press the crumbs firmly into the cutlet. Don’t be gentle…go hard on this. Flip them and press. Turn them again and PRESS.
Fry each cutlet for approx. 4 minutes or until golden brown. If the temperature of the oil dips you can turn the heat up a bit to rethermalize the oil.
Remove the cutlet and drain for 15 seconds on some paper towel. Do not let the cutlet sit there for long. If you need more time, I recommend using a wire rack to rest the cutlets on so the oil may drain away and not soggify your crunchy pork.
Place a cutlet on a slice of milk bread, then give it a good squirt of tonkatsu sauce. Cover it with another slice of bread, because…you’re making a sandwich. But now, pretend your mom is making you a PB&J, and you’re still like 7 years old and you don’t like the crust, so mom, being the good mom she is cuts the crust off for you…now say thank you, you ungrateful brat. That’s what you’re gonna do here.
Cut the sand in half and stack one half on the other. Take a pic and put it on Instagram and tag me, because now WE”RE BOTH INTERNET INFLUENCERS.
Enjoy ya’ll
Tonkatsu Sauce
1/4 C. Ketchup
2 Tbls Worchestershire
1 Tbls Japanese Soy Sauce
1 Tbls Rice Vinegar (you can use Apple cider Vin)
1 Tbls Sugar
1 Tbls Dijon Mustard
1/2 Tbls Garlic, minced
3 good grinds Black pepper
Simmer all this in a saucepan to dissolve the sugar and allow to cool before using. This will be fine in your fridge for a month.