Why This Recipe Works

Our crisp, juicy, well-browned pork tonkatsu starts with ¾-inch-thick boneless chops with a thin fat cap. We cut slits in the fat to prevent the chops from buckling and then sprinkled them with salt. We revamped the bound breading process so that a triple dip—first in flour, then in egg, and finally in panko—coated the chops with the least possible mess and fuss. We found that shallow-frying the chops in a cast-iron skillet produced the best results with the least amount of oil, and a unique setup for resting the chops helped keep them crispy from edge to edge.

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Before You Begin

The cooking time is dependent on the thickness of the pork chops. Do not substitute chops of another thickness. If you can, purchase chops with a 1/4-inch-thick fat cap. If your pork chops do not have a fat cap, skip step 3. Panko may be sold in boxes or bags, some of which have windows showing the size and shape of the crumbs; for the crispest texture, look for crumbs that are large and flaked rather than small and pebbly. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, use stainless steel and increase the oil to 1 cup. If desired, serve the tonkatsu with our DIY Bull-Dog Sauce and/or lemon, soy sauce, and wasabi.

Instructions

Place cabbage in salad spinner basket. Add single layer of ice cubes to salad spinner bowl. Set basket on ice and add cold water to cover cabbage. Let sit until cabbage is cold and crisp, 10 minutes. Drain and spin until very dry. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Cabbage can be prepared up to 3 hours in advance.)

Place flour in medium bowl. Beat eggs in second medium bowl until no streaks remain. Spread panko in even layer over 1 half of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Invert loaf pan onto center of rack.

Place pork chops on cutting board. Working with 1 chop at a time, and starting at 1 end of chop, insert paring knife at 45-degree angle through fat cap to create ¼-inch slit, pushing knife through until you reach cutting board (do not cut from edge to edge). Repeat around perimeter of fat cap, spacing slits ¾ inch apart

Sprinkle chops all over with salt. Dredge chops thoroughly in flour, shaking off excess and returning to cutting board. Use your hand to dip 1 chop in egg and allow excess to drip back into bowl to ensure very thin coating. Place chop on top of panko and, using your other hand, cover pork with crumbs, pressing firmly so crumbs stick to all sides. Return to cutting board. Repeat with remaining chops, tilting dish to rearrange panko on 1 side before coating.

Heat oil in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat to 340 degrees (to take temperature, tilt skillet slightly so oil collects on 1 side). Place chops in skillet and cook, using tongs to lift 1 edge of each chop occasionally to allow steam to escape, until deep golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chops to prepared rack, leaning them against loaf pan. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Divide cabbage evenly among 4 serving plates and portion rice into 4 bowls. Slice chops crosswise ½ inch thick and transfer to plates. Serve with lemon wedges, soy sauce, and wasabi.