Pork Tonkatsu Balls

Pork Tonkatsu Balls

Tonkatsu is a simple deep fried breaded pork cutlet dish which is very popular in Japan, it usually served with shredded cabbage and miso soup. Originally called as “katsuretsu” which means cutlet, it was inspired from a type of yoshoku Japanese version that uses beef. It was first served in 1890’s in a Western-food restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo. The term “tonkatsu” (pork katsu) was given during the 1930s.

There are also popular versions that does not use pork so if you are not fond of using pork you can try others like Chicken katsu (chicken), Menchi katsu (minced meat), Hamu katsu (ham), Gyu katsu (beef). But commonly this dish is prepared using a thinly sliced pork fillet but for this recipe we will be making it in ball shapes so it’s easy to snack on like chicken popcorns.

Ingredients

500g pork loin chops
1 cup flour
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
salt
freshly ground black pepper
canola oil
Tonkatsu sauce

Method

1. Tenderize meat by pounding it with the blunt edge of a cleaver.
2. Slice into bite size pieces then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Individually drench pork pieces in flour while forming it into small ball shapes, dip in the beaten egg then coat with panko. Set aside and do the same with the remaining pork pieces.
4. Using a deep fryer, heat oil to 160C, deep fry pork pieces for a few minutes until it turns golden brown.
5. Remove from oil, drain on paper towels then serve with tonkatsu sauce.