Things Are Back To Normal In The Kitchen

I am still not 100% healthy, but I was ready to make a decent meal after last night's not-so-great one. I decided to try my hand at a something that my mother has perfected and could probably make with her eyes closed. Pork cutlets (Tonkatsu in Japanese) are simple and delicious, but I had never made them at home. It's one of Nathaniel's favorite dishes that my mom makes and he has told me before that my mother's cooking is the best home cooking ever (I am not offended--it's true). My maternal grandmother is half Japanese, which makes Nathaniel 1/16th but he acts like he is full-blooded Japanese. Nathaniel loves everything Japanese--toys, cartoons, video games, culture, Tokyo but especially the food--it's his favorite.

The recipe is simple, but it does require some deep frying. But trust me, it's not like deep frying American style. The crust isn't dripping with grease and the pork ends up juicy.

Pork Cutlets (Tonkatsu) adapted from Quick and Easy Japanese Cuisine for Everyone by Yukiko Moriyama

1 lb pork boneless tenderloin or shoulder sliced about 1/2 inch thick (I used boneless pork loin chops)

2 eggs plus 1 tb water

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs or panko (I used the panko which you may or may not be able to find in your grocery store since it's becoming a more common Food Network ingredient. Panko will result in a crispier, lighter crust and I recommend it if you have never used it)

All purpose flour for dusting

vegetable oil for deep-frying

salt and pepper

Tonkastu sauce--it's a sweet/sour sauce (you might be able to find bottled sauce at your grocery store in the Asian food aisle)

4 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbs Ketchup
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1) Flatten out the pork slices. I found the cookbook funny because the author has a potato masher looking tool and is nicely flattening the pork. I took a meat mallet and beat the tar out of the pork, but then that's just me. The thinner the pork, the faster it will cook.

2) Trim off any excess fat. Mine were pretty trimmed, so I didn't have to do this. Salt and pepper generously both sides of the meat. Let sit for 4-5 minutes.

3) Prepare flour, beaten eggs and crumbs in separate containers (I got my neat little set of trays from Pampered Chef. The plastic tongs that are included are pretty worthless, but the trays are great for breading meat). My eggs are looking a little scary in the pic because the trays are pretty big and there is only two in there.....haha. Dust pork with flour, dip in egg and coat with bread crumbs. It's easy.

4) Heat the oil to 340 degrees. Fry pork until done. It's best to do this one at a time. The pork

will sink to the bottom and rise up to the top. You'll need to turn the pork a few times and cook until golden brown. Watch out and don't burn it!

5) Drain in a paper towel lined plate. Slice and serve.

6) Mix sauce ingredients and serve on side for dipping.

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I decided to step up the meal with some curry and rice. These pork cutlets are frequently served on curry and rice in Japanese restaurants. Japanese curry is different from Indian curry in the fact that it's thicker, not as spicy and is slightly sweet. The great thing about Japanese curry is that it's super easy to make due to the fact that you can buy curry sauce mix in many regular grocery stores' Asian section. Heck you can even buy it on amazon.com! S&B Golden Curry is the most common brand and the one that I like the best (it's not as sweet). I get the hot version, but it also comes in mild and medium heat too. It's super easy to make because all you do is cook up some veggies (and/or meat), add water, cook for awhile, then add the curry and cook a bit longer. I added carrots, onions, celery and potatoes to mine tonight. I was thrilled that Nathaniel loved this stuff. It was his first time trying it and he was hooked. It was a great way to get him to eat his veggies too!

***Anyway, I am still sick because I have accidentally deleted my third picture six times since I tried posting this and I am about ready to throw the computer against the wall. So sorry, you won't be seeing the other pic of the pork cutlet by itself!