The Katsu sandwich’s elegance is not determined by its price tag… or maybe it is.
$3 Katsu Sandwich
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
Slaw
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced on mandoline
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic grated
1 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup (68g) mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste
Tonkatsu Sauce
1/2 cup (128g) ketchup
3 tablespoons (40g) oyster sauce
1/4 cup (60ml) Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons (42g) granulated sugar
Katsu
4 boneless pork chops, about 1- 1 ½-inches thick
1 cup (150g) all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon (12g) water
2 cups (150g) panko breadcrumbs
Salt, to taste
14 cups (3.3L) vegetable oil
Assembly
1 loaf Hokkaido milk bread or freshly baked white bread, cut into 8 ½-inch slices
Tonkatsu sauce
Mayonnaise
4 pork katsu
Slaw
INSTRUCTIONS
For The Slaw
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl until everything is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For The Tonkatsu Sauce
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add all the ingredients and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a ramekin or small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For The Katsu
Fill a 7-8 quart heavy bottomed pot just over halfway with vegetable oil and heat to 350℉ / 177℃. Have a sheet pan, lined with a wire rack, near the hot oil.
Using a meat mallet or the back of a pan, pound the pork chops into cutlets that are about ½-inch thick and 4-5-inches wide.
Create a breading station by adding the flour to one medium bowl, whisking the eggs and water until homogenous in a second bowl, and adding the panko to a third bowl. Have a sheet pan next to the breading station.
Generously season both sides of the pork with salt. Coat the chops with flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in the egg mixture, making sure every part of the chop is fully coated. Then place into the panko and press firmly to adhere as many breadcrumbs as possible. Place on the sheet pan and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
Fry the pork chops, two at a time to avoid overcrowding, for 3-5 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Remove to the wire rack and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
To Assemble
Spread tonkatsu sauce on one slice of bread and spread mayo on the other slice. Place a piece of pork katsu on top of the tonkatsu sauce, followed by the slaw and then top it with the other slice of bread. Cut the crusts of each side of the sandwich to make a perfect square. Repeat building the remaining sandwiches.
Cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.
$300 Katsu Sandwich
*For best results start the Hokkaido dough the day before serving*
Prep and Rising Time: 3 hours 45 minutes plus overnight
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Makes 2 sandwiches and 2 loaves of bread
INGREDIENTS
Saffron Black Garlic Hokkaido Bread
Tangzhong
1/4 cup (60ml) whole milk
2 tablespoons (24g) water
2 tablespoons (18g) all-purpose flour
Dough
1/2 cup (120ml) hot water
1 ½ teaspoons (0.5g) saffron threads
1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
2 1/2 teaspoons (9g) instant yeast
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3 1/2 cups (525g) bread flour
2 teaspoons (5g) fine sea salt
3 tablespoons (42g) granulated sugar
3g amylase, (optional)
Cooled tangzhong
3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, softened
1 head black garlic, cut in half horizontally
Cooking spray
Bench flour
Melted butter, to brush the bread (optional)
Bonito Tonkatsu Sauce
2 tablespoons (25g) sake
1/4 cup (60ml) Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons (2g) bonito flakes
3 tablespoons (38g) oyster sauce
3 tablespoons (42g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (128g) ketchup
Kimchi Slaw
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced on mandoline
1 shallot, finely diced
1 tablespoon (18g) gochujang
1 tablespoon (14g) chili crisp
5 garlic cloves, grated
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup (100g) Kewpie mayo
Salt, to taste
Yuzu Mist
1/2 cup (120ml) yuzu
1/2 cup (120ml) shirodashi
1 tablespoon (14g) aged soy sauce
Sansho Togarashi
2 tablespoons (19g) Kosher salt
1 tablespoon (9g) shichimi togarashi
1 ½ teaspoons (2g) sansho powder
A5 Katsu
1 19-ounce A5 wagyu striploin steak, at least 3/4-inch thick
Salt, to taste
1 cup (150g) all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon (12g) water
2 cups (150g) panko breadcrumbs
14 cups (3.3L) vegetable oil
Sansho spice mix
Shirodashi yuzu mist
Assembly
Saffron black garlic hokkaido bread, dome top removed and cut into 4 ½-inch slices
Bonito tonkatsu sauce
1/2 cup (98g) Kewpie mayonnaise
2 pieces A5 katsu
Kimchi slaw
INSTRUCTIONS
For The Saffron Black Garlic Hokkaido Bread
To make the tangzhong, in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, water and flour. Continue to stir, while heating, until thickened into a paste. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
To make the dough, in a small bowl or container add the hot water and saffron and stir to combine. Use an immersion blender to blend the saffron into the water until the threads are dissolved and the water is bright yellow.
Stir in the milk, which should bring the overall temperature of the mixture down to 95℉ / 35℃ or lukewarm to touch. If it is still hot, let it cool slightly. Whisk in the yeast until dissolved, followed by the egg and egg yolk, whisking until homogenous.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar and amylase.
Add the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on medium speed while pouring in the yeast mixture and tangzhong. Mix until a rough dough forms.
Add in the softened butter and continue to mix on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, or until smooth. Remove the dough to a clean, un-floured work surface.
Shape each dough into a rough rectangle, about 6x10-inches.
Squeeze the black garlic out of the skins and evenly spread it across the surface of the dough. Scrape the edges of the dough with a bench scraper to release from the cutting board, and fold one edge to the middle of the dough. Fold the other half up and over the entire dough to seal in the black garlic. Then fold the top half of the dough down towards the edge closest to you..
Slap and fold the dough against the work surface to knead it together and evenly disperse the black garlic. Form into a light ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and proof, in the refrigerator, overnight.
Punch the dough down and divide it into 2 pieces. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll each piece into a rough rectangle, about the same width as a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Roll the dough into a log.
Spray the loaf pans with cooking spray and add the dough, seam side up. Lightly wrap with greased plastic wrap and proof for 2 hours or until the dough reaches the top edge of the pan.
About 30 minutes before the dough is done rising, preheat the oven to 375℉ / 190℃.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown all over.
Brush the tops with melted butter, if you’d like, and remove to a wire rack. Turn the bread loaves onto their sides and cool completely.
For The Bonito Tonkatsu Sauce
In a small saucepan over medium high heat, add the sake and bring to a boil. Reduce the sake by half. Stir in the remaining ingredients and continue to cook until the sugar dissolves.
Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer and set aside until ready to use.
For The Kimchi Slaw
In a large bowl evenly combine all the ingredients. Season with salt to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
For The Yuzu Mist
In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients and then place in a spray bottle with a mist setting.
For The Sansho Togarashi
In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Set aside for later.
For The A5 Katsu
Fill a 7-8 quart heavy bottomed pot just over halfway with vegetable oil and heat to 360℉ / 182℃. Have a sheet pan, lined with a wire rack near the hot oil.
Trim the steak of excess fat and cut into square pieces about the same size as a piece of sliced bread. Season both sides generously with salt.
Create a breading station by adding the flour to one medium bowl, whisking the eggs and water until homogenous in a second bowl, and adding the panko to a third bowl. Have a sheet pan next to the breading station.
Coat the steak with flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in the egg mixture, making sure every part of the steak is fully coated. Then place into the panko and press firmly to adhere as many breadcrumbs as possible. Place on the sheet pan and repeat with the remaining piece of steak.
Fry the steaks for 2-3 minutes or until crispy and golden brown but the steak is still medium rare. Remove to the wire rack and immediately spray with the yuzu mist and season with the sansho togarashi.
To Assemble
Lay two slices of bread on a cutting board. Top one slice with the tonkatsu sauce and spread Kewpie mayo on the second slice. Next, lay down your A5 Katsu, add kimchi slaw, and top your katsu sandwich with the other half. Repeat building another sandwich with the second fried steak.
Slice in half and enjoy.
