The Best Tonkatsu You'll Ever Make (Restaurant-Quality) | Epicurious 101

Chef Taka Sakaeda returns to Epicurious 101, this time demonstrating every step to follow in making restaurant-quality pork tonkatsu-Japanese fried pork cutlets.
Director/Producer: Mel Ibarra
Director of Photography: Joel Kingsbury
Editor: Eric Bigman
Talent: Taka Sakaeda
Director of Culinary Production: Kelly Janke
Culinary Researcher and Recipe Editor: Vivian Jao
Culinary Producer: Mallary Santucci
Culinary Associate Producer: Katrina Zito
Associate Producer: Tim Colao
Line Producer: Jennifer McGinity
Production Manager: Janine Dispensa
Production Coordinator: Elizabeth Hymes
Camera Operator: Jeremy Harris
Audio: Michael Guggino
Production Assistant: Kayla Zimmerman
Post Production Supervisor: Andrea Farr
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araújo
Assistant Editor: Billy Ward
Graphics Supervisor: Ross Rackin
Graphics, Animation, VFX: Léa Kichler
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0:00 Tonkatsu 101
0:37 Chapter One - Prepping The Pork
2:33 Chapter Two - Breading The Cutlet
4:05 Chapter Three - Frying
6:32 Chapter Four - Plating
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[@spacefalcon6900]

I love taka, his humour and personality is so humble, like he knows he is a pro but doesn't show it off, i would love to be around him

[@katfezza4570]

As a Scotsman, I approve of this deep-fried meat lump.

[@MrByaeger]

My friends recently did a music tour in Scotland and I spent 3 days convincing them they MUST get some haggis . That and some proper whisky . They did and now we are even better friends.

[@watrgrl2]

Lmao!😂

[@Itsnej]

I don’t know why I read your comment in a Scottish accent 🤣 love it mate

[@Theis_Ejsing]

Scots and japanese are natural enemies.

[@Mitsoxfan]

Don't you miss having an egg shoved into it?

[@pietroguiotto]

Step 1: start yesterday

[@AlitaMee]

Taka Sakaeda , your fried rice recipe was so clear and so epic that my guests didn't believe I didn't order it .

[@ralphjenkinsak]

I was a missionary in Japan back in the 80’s and my first day there ate tonkatsu at a restaurant and have been in love with this dish ever since! I’ve made it 100’s of times over the years and always use Bull-Dog Tonkatsu sauce. Never tried the twice fry trick. I’ll give it a shot next time! Thx for posting!

[@pakkagewa4591]

you don't have to, it will be dry. it's better just to fry once, especially if you know how to set the oil temperature correctly.

[@thog7653]

@@pakkagewa4591 im gonna listen to the chef mate but thanks for your advice

[@kvothethearcane9412]

@@pakkagewa4591 it wont be dry if u do it properly

[@pakkagewa4591]

@@thog7653 let me know the result once you tried both methods =)

[@tbunreall]

@@thog7653 It probably wont be dry, but every time I've tried a double fry technique for any food is was just a waste of time. Comes out essentially the exact same.

[@wonhome2711]

Chef Sakaeda made this dish look so easy to make; I can't wait to make this tomorrow. I love Che Sakaeda's presentation style. Can't wait to see more of his videos.

[@oddalfhutlur6760]

Che Skaeda: Guevarras Distant cousin

[@noobbear1119]

​@@oddalfhutlur6760underrated comment

[@newvillagefilms]

I buy this for lunch at a Japanese mom & pop store (like 7-11). They're always delicious and filling.

[@iconicboy9215]

Ive been fascinated by this dish for awhile now it’s all over my yt feed

[@nord4338]

Beautiful, one of my favorites. Thank you.

[@hasaniennis442]

EDIT: For those asking, I add these ingredients into the mayo. Cheers ☺ I love making tonkatsu. In addition to cabbage, I’ll make cold soba noodles tossed in a dressing mixture of mayo, soy, sesame seed oil, salt and pepper. Then I fall asleep.

[@lauraqueentint]

haha, true! all that prep and then finish that big cutlet will knock you out for sure!

[@jimmykez3066]

Your cold soba noodle dish sounds interesting. If you don't mind, can you please share the recipe?

[@miked3168]

@@jimmykez3066 google it

[@Lamorozna]

i cant find it. eith mayonaise? theres nothing like that

[@hasaniennis442]

@@Lamorozna you will have to mix those ingredients into the mayonnaise

[@drakonmy]

Thank you chef Taka. I successfully made this using your techniques, I just made the best golden brown tonkatsu I’ve ever made, reminded my hubby of the ones he had in Japan, what a compliment!

[@yaqubebased1961]

Sliced cabbage is legit the best side to any meat dish ever, esp fattier, juicier ones. Really balances out the flavours with freshness and crunch

[@MrByaeger]

Can't wait to try it. I ONCE had awesome Katsu (chicken) at this place , then anytime I tried it after that , it was dry and overcooked. After seeing this I'm guessing my mistake is getting it at "fast food" type places that probably can't justify double frying it so they do it in one go. Lesson learned !

[@wendeelee592]

Dear Chef, you are a Japanese who is very precise in your explanation in English. Thanks for the sharing. Have a great weekend. I will be cooking this dish on Sunday.😊

[@SilatShooter]

Great Video! Looks fairly easy. Thank you! Will absolutely try this weekend!

[@miked3168]

you need the sauce, without it... its like having french fries with out salt

[@marcthomas8192]

I had huge success repeating the egg wash and panko step for a second layer. Makes it more crispy and the meat more juicy. That was before I stopped eating meat...

[@lovefrog300]

I made this for supper and my kids loved it.

[@greghelton4668]

Looks wonderful. I often double crust the pork (redip the first layer of panko in the egg, then retread). I always keep the mustard to the side and dip the tonkatsu into the sauce in order to keep it crispy.

[@bgbc1]

thankyou, lovely video!!!

[@t500010000]

Didnt know about the mustard THANK YOU!

[@techsavvyhero]

Wow! That's amazing. I've been having chicken katsu last few times. Gotta try the pork again like in Tokyo. Thanks for sharing!

[@miked3168]

chicken is boring for this recipe

[@srlkngl]

Outstanding!

[@rabbidjeremy9193]

This guy has charisma, I would watch his show on the Tele.

[@ropac1256]

looks delish, I wanna try to make it !

[@LessTalkMoreDelicious]

Looks and tastes better when the karashi is a separate dollop on plate. Also, lemon wedge amps it up big time. 🍋

[@nimvaughen9895]

awesome. Thank You!!!!

[@andyjeffries]

For other non-Americans: 350℉ is 176℃, and 375℉ is 190℃.

[@Jesusholmes64]

Ovens and stoves have both on them...

[@andyjeffries]

@@Jesusholmes64 mine doesn’t, Celsius only here (UK)

[@Jesusholmes64]

Well your country is stupid, Miles instead of KMs, and the most effective imperial unit is pounds and your guys use stone....

[@HerrMittmann]

I wish you would make something super German like "4 Levels of Schnitzel" one day 😬

[@Donderopmetjegebruikersnaam]

This basically is a Schnitzel lol.

[@MICHAELZHANGCA]

Perfect presentation.

[@Heyyyo85]

He's very gentle.

[@brettshrekington]

Looks incredible

[@benhen3888]

More Videos with Taka pls

[@DorisPowell-kx9te]

a perfect cutlet, simple!

[@spanish_regime_4hundred363]

That’s the most beautiful tonkatsu I’ve seen so far.

[@lvcooking]

Amazing

[@CuteLittleHen]

Whoever put "[air whooshing]" in the captions needs a raise.

[@godaistudios]

My favorite way to have katsu is with Japanese curry. It's simple, tasty, and comforting.

[@DorisPowell-kx9te]

perfect!

[@coco805]

Tonkatsu sauce is easy to make yourself, it's not available in the stores where I live. Just mix Ketchup, Wocestershire sauce, oyster sauce, and a little sugar.

[@Waccoon]

Bulldog sauce! I used to eat bucketloads of chicken with that sauce when I was a kid. Even 30+ years ago it was soooo expensive. 8)

[@CHURCHISAWESUM]

My favorite meal!

[@julidiosa7605]

great!

[@_Toxicity]

YUM!

[@johnnydelgrady]

Looks rad.

[@eheem7806]

Im just wondering what will you do if you want alot of pork need to put in fridge, is it ok to put it layered?

[@michaelad48]

Looks soooooooo soooooooo delicious 😊😊😊😊😊

[@yehudiel4588]

PLEASE PLEASE put the Celsius conversion whenever they mention temperatures.

[@jimmusthegrimmace]

Do you happen to season the flour before using it?

[@adamflores4206]

Is there any seasoning or dressing on the cabbage?

[@Laropmetkire]

Was waiting for the salad part lol

[@andrewwinoto2421]

INSANE DUDE INSANE

[@henlolneh]

The biggest difference between Japan's tonkatsu vs what you find in even most restaurants here in the states is the PANKO. There are literal levels to panko in Japan and the customizable panko that purveyors offer in Japan are just not available here in the states. There are numerous companies that strictly make panko and panko only to provide for the thousands of tonkatsu spots all across Japan. The size + moisture content of the specific panko used by restaurants are what differentiates elite tonkatsu vs what you'd find again, even across Japanese restaurants here in the states. You can nail the fundamental breading + frying aspect of tonkatsu but it will still fall short of what you taste when you sit down and have in Japan strictly because of the panko itself. Just my two cents.

[@charvineadl4113]

Did not know that!

[@BadMrFrosty999]

Yup. The amount of different panko in Japan is amazing

[@grugra]

IT IS BREAD… COME ON.. dont over complicate everything…

[@adachikara]

Having eaten katsu my entire life and this seems to be key. The best I've ever done was to oven dry and coarsely grind up some locally made shokupan.

[@tasaeki]

I prefer using fresh panko. I always make it just before use.

[@RandallDuff]

Bulldog sauce is undefeated

[@tinapennington1587]

I could listen to him talk all day long 😊 cutie 🥰

[@matthewconnell2287]

The “I’m gonna go ahead and…” drives me nuts 🥜

[@andrzejwysocki609]

huh i thought a shoulder would be too tough, ill look for some next time i make katsu, i also make a ghetto katsu sauce mixing ketchup, hp sauce n worchestershire with a bit of sugar, works well enough cuz i often cant find katsu sauce in stores, or its something like 9$ for a tiny bottle

[@freemagicfun]

Katsu sauce is easy to make. I cannot find Bulldog sauce anymore, and it was getting crazy expensive as an import. Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, and a little sugar. Using HP instead of oyster would be fine. For me the oyster sauce is easier to find and cheaper (and more traditional). 😎

[@ohdubwest7533]

It never occurred to me how similar tonkatsu is to chicken fried steak in the States.

[@casey2732]

This shoulder looks perfectly like neck 😉

[@WDMtea]

How do you soften the cabbage? the cabbage seems tougher her in the US compared in Japan?

[@Metoobie]

I really like lightly pickling the cabbage and onion, gives it a nice zing... easier to eat, I find.

[@MattDavisMD]

Salt it ahead of time and let it sit in a salad spinner for ~20 min, then rinse well and spin it (or dry well with towels) until it’s dry

[@cathynakagawa8816]

Just shred it very thin!

[@ricardoblikman2676]

Do you overnight the meat without cover on it?

[@L110508]

For fried Panko meat (Katsu), it's very difficult to use pork, because most of the time the result would be dry and hard. Use skinless boneless chicken thigh, fry for 6 minutes at 150F, flip it once halfway. Guaranteed result. Remember to keep the temperature between 145-150F, never higher than that, so the result would be golden brown instead of dark brown. If the thigh is super big, go for 7 minutes.

[@680hinano]

Tonkatsu is actually more popular than chicken katsu in Japan tho. There are places that have Michelin stars for just serving tonkatsu. But I get it tho! It’s easier to mess up a pork katsu than a chicken katsu.

[@Kili_1701]

Question: What is the difference between a Tonkatsu and a Schnitzel? Is it both basically the same but with different side dishes?

[@alhollywood6486]

Panko is typically crispier than bread crumbs used in schnitzel, but other than that, probably not much difference.

[@t500010000]

I thought that was sausage

[@Kili_1701]

@@alhollywood6486 Alright, thanks!

[@isviewer]

The sauce

[@cwg73160]

@@isviewer Yep. That’s also what came up on Google in the very short time it took me to search for the answer.

[@jenndowell6446]

Drinking game! Shots every time chef says, "go ahead and"

[@krazykid2002k]

What oil did you use ? Looks amazing

[@dampaul13]

The big letter spelling out "VEGETABLE OIL" at the bottom of the video at 4:36 would lead me to believe that he is using Vegetable Oil, but I'm not 100% sure.

[@krazykid2002k]

@@dampaul13 😂😂thanks

[@alfofoGMS]

the closed captions in the first second was a jumpscare

[@Gabriel-bx3nu]

It’s funny how this is a wish version of schnitzel but with other bread crumbs 😂

[@FreakDoll]

I'm here for the sauce 😮‍💨

[@MakiTheOriginal]

Looks really yummy! May I suggest to not push down the panko into the meat? For Schnitzel we would usually avoid pressing in the breadcrumbs so that the pané becomes more airy and fluffy and crispy. If you press it down there won't be enough air to make the outside later fluffy and airy. Lots of love ❤. I'll definitely remake this ❤

[@dflx91]

Neat

[@EpicSamurai]

How long did you let the pork rest before the second fry?

[@u2jewel]

2-3 minutes is enough, or the time it takes to bring the oil temp up for the second fry. For sure no longer than 5 minutes... Don't want the thing to cool down too much either

[@marcushaupt1564]

I usually make my katsu with deboned chicken thighs

[@farmerdan9780]

Step 1- Have a completely empty fridge. ...welp, I definitely can't make that. 😂

[@xavierpaquin]

The best Tonkatsu I'll _never_ make

[@alexsakon]

As a Japanese, I find mixing mustard into the sauce disturbing. It should be on the side, kind of like wasabi and soy sauce for sashimi where wasabi should never be mixed with soy sauce.

[@akiraryuu2499]

Same thought here.

[@onepun9583]

The CC at 0:00 🗿

[@Dats_dope]

Can you do chicken ??

[@sawawa857]

here I am watching tonkatsu because of the k-drama Moving 😂

[@mattheweburns]

It’s like Japanese Schnitzel! I love it!

[@DisingenuousComment]

just better

[@tube1656]

캬 죽이네

[@Vgrizzw]

Might well toss that cabbage with a little bit of kewpie…

[@RealDarkBlade]

can someone explain what's wrong with regular ground or sea salt? everywhere I look if there's a US recipe... always "kosher salt" to the point where it feels more like a reflex addition

[@freemagicfun]

It is just a kitchen buzz word. 😎

[@godaistudios]

@@freemagicfun No, no it's not.

[@godaistudios]

There are a few reasons. Kosher salt has to do with the size of the size of the crystals and gives you the most control in how much salt is used in enhancing the flavors of whatever you are cooking. Table salt and sea salt especially is very fine, so a little goes a long way. They are called finishing salts because not only do that add that final bit of flavor, but it also adds a little texture, giving food that little bit of crunch. It's also worth noting that "regular ground" salt will have other traces of minerals in them, and may either or enhance or add undesirable flavors. Chef Jean-Pierre here on YT has a video that covers the topic, or you might check out Kenji Lopez-Alt and his video on salt for more.

[@hypercolored5729]

When I was in Japan, I was eating tonkatsu pork in the little place in Kyoto. The color of tonkatsu pork I was served was nowhere near brown, it was more like slightly dark yellow. How is this color of tonkatsu achieved? Some specific oil?

[@flangle]

Lower temp when cooking.

[@Silmerano]

Go ahead

[@dwrecktheanimal]

I'm so thankful he showed to let it rest before frying; number one mistake. Allow the gluten to tighten up slightly in the flour egg mixture which locks the panko to the meat through constriction. Thou, an entire chunk of breading that fell off is still tasty regardless.

[@The_Gallowglass]

katsu curry mmm

[@daipod3148]

hmm did the japanese or the austrians make the schnitzel/tonkatsu first?

[@B30pt87]

What is the Panko made of?

[@HiHelloHi]

Bread cooked with electric current then dried and flaked

[@jakubstupka2922]

Well, in Central Europe you would call this ordinary schnitzel.

[@LISA-dv3jr]

トンカツだー！！！❤カツならやっぱり牛より豚🐷

[@wtfduud]

Today I learned the Japanese word for Schnitzel.

[@DisingenuousComment]

tonkatsu is 50x better than a schnitzel

[@vaultchang3651]

Looking for Tonkatsu 201

[@garishanth]

👌🏽🔥

[@flyingpig2564]

This pork gets more rest than me

[@PatrickLofstrom]

I'm used to seeing shorter yet wider pieces that aren't as cooked (the panko looks a bit too dark here), and the sauce shouldn't be mixed with the mustard, but other than that it looks pretty authentic. Maybe it's been adapted for the market he cooks for, might be more popular where he serves it, because I've seen katsu like that in some restaurants in the States. And yup, Bulldog is definitely a popular sauce here in Japan!

[@johncochrane1301]

Other than the region, what is the difference between Tonkatsu and Schnitzel?

[@sellidionne]

I think the panko vs breadcrumbs

[@charvineadl4113]

Veal vs pork, breadcrumbs vs panko, shallow vs deep fry.

[@jakebopp6009]

This dude just told us he beats his meat to relieve stress... alright thanks bud

[@BIOSHOCKFOXX]

Do you ever pat down excessive oil after cooking it so that it isn't oily and fatty? P.S. About mustard, I would recommend to try russian mustard...there's a kick for ya' :D

[@gabrielepopa6870]

Similar to romanian One, the difference with lets say western mustard Is that they use the roots of plant that Is super spicy. We call It "hrean" in Transilvania

[@Remus_009]

BRUIUUHHHH

[@ErikHansenProductions]

Does anyone know what knife he was using?

[@kyzor-sosay6087]

Sharp

[@cwg73160]

Yes.

[@kellygrant3074]

Air whooshing...

[@TeaSniffer_]

Ain't no shame in grabbing some white bread and tearing it up to make nama panko. Most bagged panko is pretty small. Nama panko is so delicate when fried. It's a game changer for sure. Also, I've noticed a lot of katsu in the states is thin. Almost schnitzel like.