Baked Tonkatsu

1. Gather all the ingredients. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). For a convection oven, reduce the temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with an oven-safe wire rack as it allows hot air to circulate around the cutlets and prevents the panko underneath from getting crushed.

To Toast the Panko

1. Add ¾ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and 1 Tbsp neutral oil to a frying pan.
2. Turn on the stove‘s heat to medium and stir the panko and toast until golden brown. Transfer the toasted panko to a shallow dish and allow it to cool.

To Prepare the Pork

1. From 2 boneless pork loin chops (½-inch thick), cut off the extra fat and make several slits on the connective tissue between the meat and remaining fat. Tip: Red meat and fat have different elasticities, and they will shrink and expand at different rates when they are cooked. Making a few slits will allow the Tonkatsu to stay nice and flat and prevent the cutlets from curling up.
2. To tenderize the meat, pound both sides of the cutlets with a meat pounder; if you don’t have one, then use the back of the knife. Mold the flattened meat back into the original shape with your hands.
3. Sprinkle the cutlets with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Beat 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) and ½ Tbsp neutral oil in a shallow dish.
5. Next, add 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour) to a shallow dish.
6. Dredge each pork piece in the flour and pat off the excess. Next, dip the cutlets into the egg to coat them completely.
7. Then, cover completely with the toasted panko. Press on the panko flakes to make sure they adhere to the pork. Place the pork cutlets on the oven-safe wire rack (so the air can circulate underneath) or parchment paper in the prepared baking sheet.

To Bake

1. Bake at 400ºF (200ºC) until the pork is no longer pink inside, about 20 minutes. Once it's done, remove it from the oven.
2. Rest the Tonkatsu for 3 minutes on the countertop. Then, cut the Tonkatsu into 1-inch pieces (so you can eat them with chopsticks) by pressing the knife directly down into the cutlets, instead of sawing back and forth. This way, the panko crust will not come off.

To Serve

1. Flip the middle piece to show the interior of Tonkatsu as some restaurants would do. Transfer to individual plates and serve immediately.
2. Drizzle tonkatsu sauce as you like at the table.

To Make the Sesame Tonkatsu Sauce (Optional)

1. I recommend making this Sesame Tonkatsu Sauce. It's easy to make and delicious! Grind 2 Tbsp toasted white and black sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle, add the tonkatsu sauce, and mix it all together. Dip your tonkatsu pieces to enjoy!

To Store

1. You can freeze the fried and cooled baked cutlets in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to a month. To reheat, bake it at 375ºF (190ºC) on a wire rack until the inside is warm.