Katsu Curry

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Chunou sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 200 grams onion ((~1 medium onion))
• 120 grams carrot ((1 small carrot))
• 15 grams garlic ((~3 large cloves))
• 15 grams ginger ((peeled))
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 14 grams Japanese curry powder ((~ 2 tablespoons))
• 325 grams pork chops ((2 chops, 3/5-inch thick))
• Salt ((to taste))
• Pepper ((to taste))
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 egg
• 1 cup panko
• Vegetable oil ((for frying))

Instructions

1. 1

   Make sauce.: Stir together the 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons Chunou sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 teaspoon cocoa powder in a bowl.

2. 2

   Grate vegetables.: Grate the 200 grams onion, 120 grams carrot, 15 grams garlic, and 15 grams ginger into a pan. You can also use a food processor or blender to do this, but it's important the vegetables are fully pureed.

3. 3

   Prepare pork.: To prepare the katsu, cut slits into 325 grams pork chops about 1/3 of the way down, spaced 1/4-inch apart. Flip the cutlets over and then repeat the cuts at the same angle.

4. 4

   Pound pork.: Place a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper over the meat, and use a heavy object such as a mallet, rolling pin, or pot to pound the cutlet out until it's doubled in size.

5. 5

   Season and flour pork.: Season both sides of the pork with Salt and Pepper and then dust with an even coating of 2 tablespoons flour.

6. 6

   Beat egg and add panko to a bowl.: Beat the 1 egg until uniform in one tray or shallow bowl, and then add the 1 cup panko to another.

7. 7

   Bread pork.: Dip each cutlet in the egg so there are no dry spots, and then place them in the panko, scooping the panko on top and gently patting to help it adhere. Next, flip the cutlets over in the panko a few times, repeating the scooping and patting process until each one is evenly coated.

8. 8

   Heat oil.: Preheat a pot with about 1-inch of Vegetable oil to 340 degrees F (170 C) and line a cooling rack with a few layers of paper towels.

9. 9

   Cook vegetables.: To make the curry sauce, put the pan with the grated vegetables on the stove and turn it on to high heat. Stir in the 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and continue boiling the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated (about 5 minutes).

10. 10

    Brown vegetables in oil.: Turn down the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Fry this mixture while constantly stirring until it is caramel brown and forms a thick paste (about 3 more minutes).

11. 11

    Add curry powder.: Add the 14 grams Japanese curry powder and quickly stir it into the vegetable paste to toast it, but be careful not to burn it.

12. 12

    Stir in sauce.: Stir the chicken stock mixture in and turn down the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

13. 13

    Fry pork.: To fry the katsu, add the breaded cutlets to the preheated oil and fry until golden brown. Flip them over periodically to ensure they brown evenly. If your pot doesn't hold both cutlets comfortably, just fry them one at a time. Drain on the prepared rack.

14. 14

    Finish sauce.: Your curry should be nice and thick at this point, so give it a taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. If the curry is too thick or too salty, just add some water to thin it out.

15. 15

    Slice katsu and serve with sauce and rice.: Slice up the katsu and serve it over rice. Pour the curry sauce over half of the katsu and serve immediately.