Miso Katsu

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Cut or shred ½ head green cabbage into thin slices. Wash under cold running water and drain completely. Keep it cool in the refrigerator.

To Make the Miso Sauce

1. Heat 1 Tbsp mirin and 2 Tbsp sake in a small saucepan over high heat and let the alcohol evaporate.
2. Lower the heat and add 2 Tbsp sugar, ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock), and ¼ cup hatcho miso.
3. Combine well with a silicone spatula. Cook for 3 minutes on low heat, stir frequently to avoid burning on the bottom of the saucepan. When the sauce is thickened, turn off the heat and set aside.

To Prepare the Cutlets

1. Remove the extra fat from 4 pieces boneless pork loin chops (½-inch thick) and make a couple of slits on the connective tissue between the meat and fat. Red meat and fat have different elasticities and will shrink and expand at different rate when cooked. These slits will allow the meat to stay nice and flat when deep-frying and prevent curling.
2. Pound the meat with a meat pounder, or if you don’t have one then just use the back of the knife. Mold the extended meat back into original shape with your hands.
3. Season both sides of the meat with Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) and 1 Tbsp water.
5. Dredge the meat in ¼ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) and remove the excess flour.
6. Then dip in the beaten egg and dredge in 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs). After removing the excess panko, press gently. While deep-frying, the panko will “pop up” so at this moment they don’t have to be fluffy.

To Deep-Fry

1. Heat 4 cups neutral oil in a pot over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350ºF (180ºC). If you don’t have a thermometer, stick a chopstick in the oil and see if tiny bubbles start to appear around the tip of the chopstick. Alternatively, you can drop one piece of panko into the oil, and if it sinks down to the middle of the oil and comes right up, then that’s around 350ºF (180ºC) as well. When the oil reaches that temperature, gently submerge the pork loin into the oil. Keep watching the oil’s temperature and make sure it doesn’t go over 350ºF (180ºC) or the pork katsu will look burnt.
2. Deep-fry for 1 minute on one side and flip to cook the other side for 1 minute. If your meat is thinner than ¾ inch, then reduce to 45 seconds for each side.
3. Now, take out the meat and remove the excess oil by holding it in a vertical position for a few seconds. Place on top of a wire rack (if a wire rack is not available, use a paper towel) and let it sit for 4 minutes. The hot oil on the exterior will slowly continue to cook the meat as it sits. Please do not cut to check whether the inside is cooked or not. We need to keep the panko shell on to retain the heat. While waiting, you can scoop up and discard any fried crumbs in the oil with a fine-mesh strainer.
4. After resting for 4 minutes, bring the oil back to 350ºF (180ºC) again and deep-fry the meat for 1 minute (about 30 seconds each side).
5. Remove the cutlet from the oil. Poke the meat with a chopstick; if clear liquid comes out, then it’s done. Drain the oil by holding the meat vertically again for a few seconds. Then, leave it on top of the rack or paper towel for 2 minutes. If you have to use a paper towel, try to keep the meat in a vertical position so it does not get soggy on one side.

To Serve

1. Cut the tonkatsu into large pieces by pressing the knife directly down instead of moving back and forth in a sawing motion. This way, the breading will not come off. Transfer to a plate and serve the shredded cabbage on the side. You can pour the sauce before serving or serve the sauce on the side. Enjoy immediately.

To Store

1. You can keep the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and in freezer. You can also use this sauce for marinating the fish or use as a dipping sauce for hot pot, konnyaku, and steamed vegetables.