Tonkatsu (Korean-Style Pork Cutlet, 돈가스)
Make Korean-style tonkatsu with thin pork loin, breadcrumbs, and a crisp double-fried coating. A practical Korean pork cutlet recipe for home cooking.
A Korean-style pork cutlet meal
In this recipe, I pound pork loin evenly thin and coat it in flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Serve the finished tonkatsu with rice, finely shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce. Prepare these accompaniments separately from the cutlet ingredient list.
Choosing meat, breading and accompaniments
Which cut of pork do I use?
The ingredient list uses pork loin. In step 1, I cut it into portions, pound each piece evenly thin with a meat mallet, and season it with salt and pepper. This is how I prepare the schnitzel-style cutlets in this recipe.
Which breadcrumbs do I use?
My breadcrumb guide has a photo and notes about the Samlip product I use for tonkatsu. Set out three shallow dishes in this order: flour, beaten egg, then breadcrumbs. Use the amounts in the recipe ingredient list.
Breadcrumb guide with product photo →Where are the sauce and rice recipes?
The cutlet ingredient list does not include the sauce or rice. My separate recipes cover a Worcestershire-based tonkatsu sauce and how to cook rice. Follow each recipe’s own amounts and timings.
My notes for this recipe
When I first came to Germany, schnitzel immediately reminded me of Korean-style tonkatsu.
Tonkatsu originally came from Japan, but the version many Koreans grew up with is often thinner and flatter than Japanese tonkatsu. The pork is pounded like schnitzel, coated in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, then fried until crisp.
This style is often called gyeongyangsik tonkatsu in Korea. It is usually served with rice, shredded cabbage, and a sweet brown sauce.
For this recipe, use pork loin rather than tenderloin. Pounding the meat evenly helps it cook quickly and stay tender.
How I cook it
Prepare the pork
Cut the pork loin into suitable portions. Pound each piece evenly thin with a meat mallet, similar to schnitzel. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
Prepare the breading station
Place the flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs in three separate shallow dishes or bowls. Arrange them in this order: flour, egg, then breadcrumbs.
Bread the pork
Coat each piece of pork completely in flour and gently shake off any excess. Dip it into the beaten egg, then coat it evenly with breadcrumbs.
Fry the tonkatsu
Heat enough neutral cooking oil in a frying pan for shallow frying. Fry the breaded pork in batches until the coating is golden brown and the pork is cooked through. Remove from the oil and let it rest briefly.
Fry again and serve
For an extra-crisp coating, fry each piece a second time briefly. Remove from the pan and let the excess oil drain. Serve with rice, finely shredded cabbage, and tonkatsu sauce.
What to cook next
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