Katsu sando
A pillowy Japanese pork cutlet sandwich with crisp panko crust, shredded cabbage and tangy tonkatsu mayo.
Katsu sando is the Japanese answer to the perfect sandwich: crisp, juicy cutlet tucked into pillowy soft bread with cabbage and tangy tonkatsu mayo. It’s a lunchtime legend — quick enough for a weekend project, fancy enough for guests.
This recipe makes four classic pork katsu sandos using shokupan-style bread if you can find it. The key is an even-thickness chop, light panko crust and a short rest before slicing so everything stays juicy and neat.
Ingredients
- 4 pork loin steaks — about 150 g each; trim any excess fat
- sea salt — to taste
- freshly ground black pepper — to taste
- 100 g plain flour
- 2 eggs — large, beaten
- 200 g panko breadcrumbs
- 300 ml vegetable oil — for shallow-frying; you will not use all
- 8 sliced white bread — preferably shokupan or very soft sandwich loaf; remove crusts
- 150 g shredded cabbage — finely shredded and drained of excess moisture
- 100 ml tonkatsu sauce
- 80 g Japanese mayonnaise — e.g. Kewpie-style; squeeze bottle
Equipment
- meat mallet
- deep-fry thermometer (optional)
- tongs
Instructions
Trim any large pieces of fat from the pork loin steaks. Lay each steak between two pieces of kitchen paper and, using a meat mallet or rolling pin, gently pound to an even thickness of about 1 cm — even thickness ensures even cooking.
Season both sides of each steak with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Set up three shallow dishes: one with plain flour, one with the beaten eggs, and one with the panko breadcrumbs. Lightly spread the panko in a thin, even layer to make pressing the cutlets easier.
Dredge each steak in plain flour, shaking off excess, dip in the beaten eggs, then press into the panko so the breadcrumbs adhere well. Place each breaded steak on a plate and leave for 5 minutes to set the coating.
Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan to a depth of about 5 mm and heat over medium–high until shimmering. If you have a deep‑fry thermometer aim for around 170–175°C; otherwise drop a few crumbs of panko in — they should sizzle steadily, not burn.
Fry the breaded steaks one or two at a time (do not overcrowd the pan) for 3–4 minutes on each side until deeply golden and crisp. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain.
Leave the fried cutlets to rest on a rack or plate lined with kitchen paper for 10 minutes. Resting keeps the juices sealed in and makes slicing neater.
Spread a thin layer of Japanese mayonnaise on four slices of the bread and a little tonkatsu sauce on the other four. Pile a handful of shredded cabbage onto the mayo‑coated slices, place a rested cutlet on top, then drizzle a little extra tonkatsu on the cutlet if you like.
Close sandwiches, press gently for 30 seconds (use a bacon press or your palm wrapped in kitchen paper), trim the crusts, and cut each sandwich in half straight across to reveal a neat cross section.
Tips
- Pound the steaks to an even 1 cm thickness for fast, even cooking; uneven meat is the common culprit for dry centres.
- Let the breaded steaks rest for 5 minutes before frying and 10 minutes after frying — those two pauses make the crumb stick and the juices settle.
- If you don’t have shokupan, remove crusts from a very soft sandwich loaf and do not toast — the sandwich is meant to be pillowy, not crunchy.
- Keep oil temperature steady (170–175°C) — a kitchen thermometer helps. If the crumb browns too fast, lower the heat and finish more slowly.
- Assemble just before serving to avoid sogginess; the mayonnaise and cabbage protect the bread a little, but prolonged contact with sauce will soften it.
Substitutions
pork loin steaks → chicken breast fillets, flattened to 1 cm thickness, same weight
Stays closepanko breadcrumbs → crushed cornflakes or crisp plain breadcrumbs, same weight
Noticeably differentsliced white bread → gluten-free sandwich loaf, remove crusts
Noticeably differentJapanese mayonnaise → regular mayonnaise (neutral-flavour supermarket brand), same weight
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 880
- Calories
- 38 g
- Protein
- 90 g
- Carbs
- 41 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 14 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make the cutlets ahead?
You can bread and fry the cutlets up to 2 hours ahead and keep them on a wire rack in a low oven (80–90°C) to stay warm. Rest 10 minutes before slicing and assembling.
What if I can’t find tonkatsu sauce?
Use a mix of HP sauce or brown sauce with a little ketchup and Worcestershire to taste — it’s a close stand‑in though not identical.
How do I stop the sandwich getting soggy?
Use a thin spread of mayonnaise, drain shredded cabbage well, assemble just before serving and avoid over-saucing the cutlet.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes by using gluten-free bread and gluten-free panko or crushed gluten-free cereal, but the texture and colour of the crumb will be noticeably different.
Community Photos
No photos yet
Be the first to share your creation!