Weekends are when I cook what I think is special for my boys. ‘Special’ may mean less vegetables and more ‘kiddy crunchy.’ This time, I gave them Japanese – Tonkatsu with miso soup. I know how much they like this but the two young boys don’t usually order these when we dine out. I’m guessing the shredded vegetables on the sides sometimes mixed with mayo scare the crap out of them. And if they get lucky, the sauce is all over the katsu they opt for the always-friendly teriyaki.

Tonkatsu is quite basic to do. It’s very similar to how I cooked chicken lollipops a few posts ago. A trick so versatile I use to chicken, shrimps and fish, even vegetables. There are times when I tend to buy pork schnitzel or boneless chicken and slice them thinly – thinner means crunchier and faster to cook. But what I love about tonkatsu, pork slices about half an inch thick, is that it’s crunchy on the outside but succulent on the inside.

I also prepped two sauces – tonkatsu sauce (kiddo calls it barbecue sauce) and our all-time favorite tempura sauce. I posted the recipe for miso soup and tempura sauce (my boys love this – must-read!) separately.

 

Ingredients:
4 slices pork loin, about half an inch thick, 500-600g
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
Panko breadcrumbs

Dry pork cutlets on paper towels. Salt lightly and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Set aside while you prepare the dipping platters.

Position a plate of panko breadcrumbs next to your hob. Next to it is a plate of lightly beaten eggs, then a plate of unsifted flour. The pork cutlets farthest from your hob.

Heat about 4 cups of vegetable oil in a wok or deep fryer until medium hot. Dredge pork in flour and shake off the excess. Dip into egg then press all sides into breadcrumbs to coat evenly. Place carefully into the hot oil. I did it 2 pieces at a time.

Deep-fry until golden brown; approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Drain vertically on a bowl with paper towels. Scoop crumbs out of the wok then proceed to cooking the next batch. Drain the same way.

Remove fried crumbs from oil once again. Then for the second time, deep-fry 1st batch of katsu about half a minute each side. Scoop out and once again, drain on paper towels. Do the same on the 2nd batch of katsu. Let rest for about 5 minutes.

Slice into bite-size pieces and serve with tonkatsu (or tempura) sauce and miso soup. (Yay! I got to use my new Santoku!)

As I know my boys prefer tempura sauce no matter what (myself included), I prefer just a small portion of tonkatsu sauce. Just mix and heat the following ingredients:
¼ cup tomato sauce (or ketchup)
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vonegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp mirin

Iska

I am not a professional cook. My only claim to having a culinary background is a short stint as my dad’s teen ‘sous chef’ in his carinderia ages ago. Dad ran small eateries since I was a young kid - serving standard ‘turo-turo’ food ranging from the likes of menudo, adobo, pritong isda, dinuguan, binagoongan, bopis, munggo, pinakbet and giniling to merienda fares like goto, ginataan, pancit bihon, halu-halo and saging con yelo.

My father, a farmer in his hometown before working his way to becoming an accountant, definitely influenced my cooking in a lot of ways than I thought. My siblings and I were raised in a backyard full of fruit trees and vegetable garden. We spent weekends and the summer breaks running around with ducks, chickens, goats and pigs. I had wonderful memories of gathering eggs, butchering chickens, selling vegetables and the sweet aroma of preserved fruits. But my love for art led me to a degree in Architecture. Just few months after getting my license, I went abroad and lived independently at age 23. Definitely no maid, no cook, and a totally different food culture. Along the way I met lots of friends and spent what seemed a lifetime learning new tricks and recipes.

Now living in Auckland, I am a work-from-home mum who juggles time between work, fun and family - in pursuit of work-life balance. No matter how busy I am, I love the idea of cooking for my family. My blog chronicles home cooking greatly influenced by life outside my home country from Southeast Asia to Beijing and Auckland. And most of the time, being busy also means easy (sometimes quick), affordable meals.