Tonkatsu

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Tonkatsu is a popular dish in Japan, made from breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. The name "tonkatsu" is derived from the words "ton", meaning pig, and "katsu", short for "katsuretsu", the Japanese transliteration of the English word cutlet.

Etymology[edit | edit source]

The term "tonkatsu" is a combination of the Japanese words "ton" (豚), which means pig, and "katsu" (カツ), which is a shortened form of "katsuretsu" (カツレツ). The word "katsuretsu" itself is a transliteration of the English word "cutlet", and was used in Japan to refer to a Western-style breaded and fried meat cutlet.

Preparation[edit | edit source]

To prepare tonkatsu, a pork cutlet is coated in panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and then deep fried. It is typically served with a side of cabbage, which is often shredded, and a thick, sweet sauce known as tonkatsu sauce. The dish is commonly accompanied by a bowl of rice and miso soup.

Variations[edit | edit source]

There are several variations of tonkatsu, including:

  • Chicken katsu: This variation uses chicken instead of pork. It is often served with curry sauce and is a popular dish in Hawaii.
  • Menchi-katsu: This is a breaded and deep-fried ground meat patty. It is often made with a mixture of ground pork and beef.
  • Hamu katsu: This variation uses ham instead of pork.
  • Gyukatsu: This is a beef cutlet, similar to tonkatsu but made with beef instead of pork.

See also[edit | edit source]

Tonkatsu Resources
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD