Katsudon
A hearty Japanese rice bowl: a crisp fried pork cutlet simmered with onion in a sweet-savory dashi broth, blanketed in softly set egg, and slid over hot rice. Crunchy and silky in a single comforting bowl.
Ingredients
- Tonkatsu · fried pork cutlet, store-bought or leftover1
- Onion · sliced0.5
- Eggs · lightly beaten2
- Scallion · garnish1
- Hot rice1 bowl
- Simmering broth
- Dashi · or water + bonito0.5 cup
- Soy sauce2 tbsp
- Mirin2 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
Steps
- ⏲ 1 min
Cut the tonkatsu into 2-3cm wide strips.
- ⏲ 5 min
In a small (single-serving) pan, bring the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar to a boil, then simmer the onion until soft.
- ⏲ 1 min
Lay the sliced tonkatsu over the onion and keep the broth at a gentle boil.
- ⏲ 1 min
Pour the beaten egg in a ring from the edges — add half first, then drizzle the rest over the top.
- ⏲ 2 min
Cover and let the egg set to a soft, custardy finish, 1-2 minutes. Don't overcook it.
- ⏲ 1 min
Slide the whole thing onto a bowl of rice and scatter scallion over the top.
Tips & Variations
Variations
- Oyakodon: Chicken instead of pork cutlet.
- Sauce katsudon: No egg — the cutlet dipped in Worcestershire sauce (Fukui/Nagano style).
- Cheese katsudon: Add cheese to the egg.
- Ebi katsudon: Made with a fried shrimp cutlet.
Tips
- Make them one at a time in a small pan for the neatest shape.
- Softly set egg is everything — add it near the end and barely cook it.
- Keep the broth shallow and don't reduce it too far, so it stays moist.
- Fry the cutlet ahead and add it at the end to keep things easy.
- Adding the egg in two stages keeps it layered and silky.
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