Japanese · main

Tonkatsu (とんかつ)

Tonkatsu (とんかつ) reads umami 5.9, richness 5.0 and salinity 5.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Japanese main, about 30 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.5 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.5 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 1.7 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 1.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.9 · Richness 5.0 · Salinity 5.0 · Sweetness 4.5 · Sourness 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.3 · Heat 1.0 · Bitterness 0.9 · Funk & Ferment 0.7 · Nutty 0.6 · Herbaceous 0.5

What's in it (10)

• 4 thick pork loin chops (about 1.5 lbs total)
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
• 1/4 cup tonkatsu sauce
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 tsp Japanese mustard

Time & effort: about 30 min (25 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 180.7 kcal, 13.8 g protein, 7.1 g fat, 14.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

1. Score and tenderize pork loin, season, and coat in flour, beaten egg, then panko.
2. Deep-fry at 170 degrees C until the crust is deeply golden and the pork is cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Slice into strips and serve over shredded cabbage with tonkatsu sauce.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Korean Corn Dogs — Korean
• Morcilla (Blood Sausage) — Argentine
• Pork Tonkatsu — Japanese
• Peking Duck (北京烤鸭) — Chinese
• Olivier Salad (Салат Оливье) — Russian

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.