Katsudon (Japanese Pork Cutlet And Omelet Rice Bowl) Recipe

Recipe developer Patterson Watkins brings us this recipe for a Japanese pork cutlet and omelet rice bowl, otherwise known as Katsudon. Watkins notes, "Katsudon is an all-day, every-day kinda meal. Don't let that omelet component trick you into thinking this is a 'morning only' meal. Katsudon is one of the many Japanese donburi-style dishes, (donburi meaning 'rice bowl') that you'd see served at casual restaurants or made at home."

While fried crispy foods are some of the most delicious foods out there, this dish embraces a little sogginess. Trust us, this is desired. Traditionally, the flavorful dashi broth makes this Japanese dish a little soggy. This dish combines fried pork cutlets, flavorful sweet and savory broth, and an oniony egg omelet.

Not sure what to pair this with? Watkins recommends, "In Japanese restaurants, this dish might be served with a little side of broth (either miso or dashi) and maybe some pickled vegetables. I personally like to pair my katsudon with either a frosty Sapporo beer or whiskey highball."

To make katsudon, or Japanese pork cutlet and omelet rice bowl, you can start by gathering your ingredients. For this recipe, you will need boneless pork chops, salt, pepper, flour, eggs, panko bread crumbs, dashi broth, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, onion, cooked white rice, and scallions.

First, you will start by preparing your pork chops. Pat the pork chops dry and then pound them out until they are evenly about ½ inch thick. Next, season them well with salt and pepper. Then, bread each pork cutlet in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Preheat your skillet with vegetable or canola oil and fry each pork chop for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set the golden brown pork cutlets aside on a wire rack to allow excess oil to drain off.

While the pork is resting, fry up the omelet. In a medium bowl, add the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and granulated sugar before whisking to combine. Using the same skillet, drain off half of the oil and add the onions. Sauté the onions until they are lightly browned, which takes about 4 minutes. Then, add the dashi mixture to the eggs and continue to cook for another 4 minutes. 

The sauce should reduce by half and the onions will caramelize and become tender. Add ¼ cup of the sauteed onions to a small skillet and warm over medium-low heat. Then, add in two beaten eggs and cook for about 2 minutes, until the omelet is slightly firm with slightly raw egg on the top.

Add one of the pork cutlets on top of the omelet and allow to cook for 2 additional minutes. Repeat with remaining pork, onions, and eggs. Then, plate each serving over a scoop of cooked rice and sprinkle with sliced scallions. Wanting to save leftovers? Watkins notes, "Unfortunately, leftovers do not hold up as well as straight-from-the-skillet katsudon. But! You can save some steps for later assembly. The tonkatsu (crispy pork cutlet) can be prepped, cooked, cooled, and reheated (I recommend reheating in the oven or toaster oven on a wire rack until crispy). The onion mixture can also be made ahead, cooled, and added to the nonstick skillet when you're ready to make the omelet."