Tonkatsu with Cranberry Sauce
Most families here in Japan will be eating some kind of chicken dish ( usually a roasted chicken leg or KFC ) and a Christmas cake of some sort ( usually strawberry shortcake ) and although I have nothing against those two, I prefer to make some extra effort. Christmas is a time of joy, love and celebration and at least for me, it means making dishes that are extra special. Every year, we have a tradition of having dinner at home. The Christmas tree is decorated and Christmas songs are playing in the background. The house is lit up with candles and smells of nutmeg and cinnamon from the gingerbread cookies I've baked waft through the air adding to the already cozy and warm atmosphere. There simply is no better place than to be at home.
Tonkatsu with Cranberry Sauce
Last year, I made a dish that fuses Japanese and Western flavors. It's basically a tonkatsu ( Japanese-style pork cutlet ) with a cranberry sauce instead of the usual tonkatsu sauce. The cranberry sauce makes it that much more special . I enjoy mixing flavors from different cuisines and it usually turns out surprisingly yummy but this dish was so good it certainly deserves a repeat performance.
Some things to remember
- Try not to overcook the pork as they will become tough.
- Make sure the pork chops are thoroughly coated with panko bread crumbs
- Put some effort into presentation and use nice dinnerware.
- Light some holiday-fragranced candles to add extra coziness
- Turn off the TV and put on some nice music to enhance the holiday mood.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork chops
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 cup panko ( fine bread crumbs)
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup flour
- Oil for deep frying
- 1/2 can cranberry sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- zest of 1/2 orange
Instructions
- Cut the edges of the pork chops in several places to prevent curling.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Flour each pork chop lightly.
- Dip the pork chops into the beaten egg.
- Coat the pork with panko and pat well.
- Deep-fry the breaded pork in oil at 350 degrees for 3-4 minutes.
- Flip the pork and cook the other side for a few more minutes or until golden brown and just cooked through.
- Remove and drain on paper towels.
- To make the sauce, stir together the cranberry sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar and orange peel.
- Cook for 2 minutes in a saucepan.
- Serve the tonkatsu warm with a serving of sauce.
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