Kicchiri Kitchen: Katsudon (カツ丼)

In my opinion this is the best Japanese comfort food, and likely to be found in your school’s cafeteria as a favourite amongst the students too.

Katsu is breaded pork and don means atop rice (if you remember from last month’s kaisendon); the clincher is the steamed egg and sweet sauce topping combination – winning.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of rice
• 2 pork chops (fat trimmed)
• 100g breadcrumbs (パン粉)
• ½ onion (thinly sliced)
• handful of spring onions (thinly sliced)
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• flour for dusting
• salt and pepper
• vegetable oil (enough to cover one surface of pork)

Sauce:

• ½ cup of dashi (fish stock) or hot water
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar

1. While the rice is cooking, tenderize the pork and then season with salt, pepper and dust with flour on both sides.
2. Dip the pork chops in egg then coat in breadcrumbs.
3. Heat vegetable oil and fry pork for approx. 4 minutes on each side, until golden.
4. Remove form heat, once cooled, cut into 1 inch pieces. (Katsu done!)
5. Mix all the sauce ingredients together.
6. In a nabe pot (or any pot with a lid), fry the onions until translucent.
7. Add the katsu pieces into the pot and pour the sauce over.
8. Pour the eggs over everything and sprinkle in the spring onions.
9. Put the lid on and cook for 2 minutes, or until the egg is cooked.
10. Dish up over rice.

Now sink under the kotatsu and enjoy in comfort.

Cherie Pham