Katsu Sando

1. Gather all the ingredients.

To Toast the Panko

1. In a large frying pan, add 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and 1½ Tbsp neutral oil. Turn on the heat to medium or medium-high.
2. Lift the pan and shake it occasionally to evenly toast the panko.
3. Once the panko starts to get brown, shake the pan constantly to get an even color. Once the panko is nicely browned, transfer to a plate or tray.

To Prepare the Pork

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). For a convection oven, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC).
2. Cut off the extra fat from 2 boneless pork loin chops (½-inch thick). Make a few slits on the connective tissue between the meat and fat. Since red meat and fat have different elasticities, they shrink and expand at different rates when cooked. Making slits will keep the tonkatsu flat when baking and prevent curling.
3. Pound the meat with a meat pounder. If you don’t have one, use the back of a knife and pound in a crisscross pattern—top to bottom first, then left to right.
4. Use your hands to mold the extended meat back into its original shape. Season both sides of the meat with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To Bread the Pork

1. Place 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour) in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, whisk together 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) and ½ Tbsp neutral oil. Line up these two dishes with the tray of toasted panko. Tip: The oil in the egg will help the breading adhere to the meat and seal in its juices and flavor during cooking.
2. First, dredge the meat in the flour. Remove the excess.
3. Next, dip the meat in the egg mixture. Finally, dredge in the toasted panko.
4. Press the panko onto the meat to help it adhere. Transfer the breaded cutlets to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or (even better) an oven-safe wire rack, which allows the hot air to circulate underneath and keeps the panko from getting crushed on the bottom.
5. Bake at 400ºF (200ºC) until the pork is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the tonkatsu from the oven.

To Assemble the Katsu Sando

1. Meanwhile, thinly shred 1 leaf green cabbage.
2. Lay 4 slices shokupan (Japanese milk bread) on the work surface. Use 2 slices of shokupan (Japanese milk bread) per sandwich. For each sandwich, spread 1 tsp unsalted butter on one slice; the butter acts as a waterproof guard so the sandwich doesn’t get soggy. Next, spread 1 tsp Dijon mustard on top of the butter.
3. Spread some of the tonkatsu sauce on the other slice of bread (reserve some sauce for the next step).
4. On the side with the mustard and butter, add some of the thinly shredded cabbage. Then, drizzle some tonkatsu sauce over the cabbage.
5. Place the baked tonkatsu on top of the cabbage. Top with the other slice of bread. Place the sandwich between two plates for 5 minutes.
6. Cut off the bread crusts and cut the Katsu Sando in half. Tip: Save the crusts and repurpose them to make Shokupan Crust Rusks. These crunchy, buttery snacks are so delicious! You can make them now or freeze the crusts to make later.

To Serve

1. Serve the Katsu Sando on a plate or in a box. Enjoy!