Nearly every cuisine in the world has its own version of fried breaded meat, and Japan is no exception. It was added to the repertoire of Japanese cuisine in the 1800s, allegedly by a chef trying to add more European-style fare to his menu. The most traditional version is tonkatsu, which is made from pork, but chicken katsu is also extremely popular. In restaurants you can find katsu pork or chicken served over rice, in a bento box, or as a standalone entree. The breaded, fried meat part of this dish is really no different from what you might find in a chicken parmesan recipe; what makes chicken katsu different is the use of panko crumbs in the breading, and the sauce that it’s typically served with.
The sauce, often referred to as “tonkatsu sauce,” is a tangy mix of soy sauce, ketchup, ginger and garlic, with some sugar and sweet Japanese wine to balance it out. It was originally a riff on Worcestershire sauce, and that is one more ingredient in it as well. There is no single definitive recipe for tonkatsu sauce; you can start with the one below and adjust it to meet your preferences.
Recipe here.
Enjoy,
Kevin
