Tonkatsu Style Butterflied Pork Chops With Watercress Salad Recipes

BUTTERFLIED CUBAN STYLE PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Heat the grill to high.
• Whisk together 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, 3 tablespoons oregano, the garlic, cumin, and canola oil in a large baking dish. Add the pork and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry. Place the chops on a flat surface, cut-side up and season with salt and pepper. Place 1 slice of cheese, 2 slices of ham, a few slices of pickle and another slice of cheese on 1 half of the chop. Fold over brush the top with oil and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• Place the chops on the grill, oil side down and grill until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chops over and continue grilling until the bottom is golden brown and the cheese has melted, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
• Whisk the remaining orange and lime juices, oregano, and the cilantro with the olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon over the chops and serve.

TONKATSU-STYLE BUTTERFLIED PORK CHOPS WITH WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• Butterfly the chops: Lay them flat on a cutting board and, holding your knife parallel to the board, cut through the meat along the side of each chop until you reach the bone. This cut should evenly divide the meat of each chop into 2 equal flaps, which remain attached to the bone. Spread each chop out in the shape of a butterfly.
• Place the chops between sheets of wax paper, and pound each flap with a mallet or the side or back of a heavy cleaver. Pound until each flap is an even 1/4-inch thick.
• Mix together the 1/4 cup rice-wine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and a few drops of Japanese sesame oil. Place the pounded pork chops in a wide, shallow dish and pour the marinade over them. Marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, for 2 hours.
• When ready to cook, heat the peanut oil in a wok, deep-fryer, or deep, wide pot to 365 degrees.
• While the oil is heating, remove pork chops from the marinade and shake off liquid. Dredge chops in flour, making sure to cover all spots of the meat and bone. Then dip the chops in the beaten egg, and let the excess egg drip off. Finally, dip the chops in the panko crumbs, making sure to cover the entire meat and bone.
• When the oil is hot, add the pork chops (if your frying vessel is not large enough, you should do this in 2 batches). Deep-fry until chops are golden brown on the outside, just cooked through on the inside, 3 to 4 minutes altogether. Remove and drain on paper towels.
• While the pork chops are cooking, make the watercress salad: Toss together the watercress, tomato, scallion, bean sprouts, rice-wine vinegar and sesame oil. (Make sure the salad has a light taste of the sesame oil; if not, add a little more.) Season with salt.
• Place each chop on a large dinner plate and season with coarse salt. Strew each chop with the watercress salad and serve immediately.
• *panko crumbs are Japanese bread crumbs -- light, airy, remarkably crisp. They are available at Japanese groceries.

TONKATSU WITH HOMEMADE SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sauce: Stir together the ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mirin, sugar, Dijon and garlic powder in a small bowl. Set aside while you prepare the pork.
• For the pork: Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Whisk the egg with a small splash of water in a second shallow bowl. Add the panko to a deep dish.
• Lightly pound each piece of pork with a meat mallet, then generously sprinkle on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge one cutlet in the flour, coating completely, then shake off any excess. Dip it in the egg mixture, letting any excess drip off, then coat with the panko, gently pressing it into the panko so the crumbs stick. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
• Heat about 1/3 inch oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add 2 of the cutlets and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip the pieces over and cook until almost cooked through but still pink, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the cutlets to a paper towel-lined cutting board, sprinkle with salt and tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the 2 remaining cutlets.
• For serving: Slice the cutlets crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. Place a sliced cutlet on each plate along with a scoop of rice, a mound of cabbage and 2 tomato wedges and/or cucumber slices, if using. Drizzle the cutlets with the sauce and serve with extra sauce on the side.

PORK TONKATSU

Steps:

• Slash the fat rimming one side of the loin cutlet to keep the meat from curling when deepfried. Pound to flatten to about 1/4 inch. Salt and pepper both sides of each cutlet. Dredge each in flour, then dip into beaten eggs and press into bread crumbs to coat both sides.
• Heat a large skillet with about 1/2 inch of oil until hot. Lay 1 or 2 cutlets in the hot oil. Deep-fry until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, turning them once or twice. Drain the cutlets on paper towels and cut the pork into bite-size strips that can be eaten with chopsticks.
• Arrange the pork on a platter lined with the shredded cabbage, and garnish with lemon wedges. Serve the sauce on the side for dipping, or pour it over the pork and cabbage.
• Prepare the recipe for Pork Tonkatsu, using 4 turkey cutlets, each about 1/2inch thick, in place of the pork loin.

TONKATSU

Steps:

• Flatten pork chops to 1/4-in. thickness. In a shallow bowl, combine flour and garlic salt. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk eggs. Place bread crumbs in a third bowl. Coat pork with flour mixture, then dip in eggs and coat in crumbs., In an electric skillet, heat 1/4 in. of oil to 375°. Fry pork chops until crisp and juices run clear, 2-3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels., Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients; serve with pork.

TONKATSU

Steps:

• Pour the oil into a 3-quart (3-liter) cast-iron Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a sheet tray with paper towels.
• Trim the fat around the edges of the pork chops if desired. Pound the pork chops with a meat mallet to slightly flatten and rub with the salt and pepper.
• Coat and bread your pork chops. Line up three small shallow bowls: one with the flour, one with the beaten eggs and one with the panko. Take one pork chop and lightly flour it on both sides, patting to remove excess flour. Dip the chop into the egg and then coat it generously with panko. Repeat with the remaining chops.
• You are now ready to start frying. Test the temperature of the oil by dropping a few bread crumbs into the oil. If the crumbs sizzle up instantly but do not burn, the temperature is right for frying. Add two chops to the oil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are lightly browned on one side. Flip and fry for another 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned on the second side. The timing will depend on the thickness of the meat and the temperature of the oil. Test for doneness by taking one chop out of the oil when it is lightly browned on both sides and slice it; it should not be pink inside. Be careful not to overcook the pork-you want your cutlets to be tender and juicy. Drain the chops on the paper towel-lined sheet tray to remove excess oil. Remove any crumbs from the oil with a slotted spoon and fry the remaining two chops.
• Slice the pork crosswise about 3/4 inch (2 centimeters) thick and serve over the shredded cabbage with the lemon wedges, your choice of sauce and a bowl of fresh-cooked rice on the side.
• Bring the dashi to a boil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the liquid thickens and reduces by one-third, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and make adjustments.
• If you like the sauce sweeter, add more ketchup, sugar or some mirin. If you want the savory flavors to come out, add more soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Makes 2/3 cup (156 milliliters).

TONKATSU - ASIAN-STYLE PORK CHOP

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, garlic, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place the panko crumbs in a shallow bowl.
• Rinse pork chops with water, then dip in the egg mixture. Coat with panko crumbs, dip in the egg mixture again, then coat with another layer of panko crumbs. Lay coated chops on a plate until the rest are finished. If you have time, let them set for about 10 minutes, and the coating will set very well. If you wish to freeze the chops, now is the time.
• When the oil is very hot, place pork chops into the pan, and fry for about 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown.