Large, thin pork cutlets dipped in sweet soy sauce and served over rice.
The Story
Warajikatsu is a specialty of Ogano in the mountains of western Saitama. Its name comes from waraji, the traditional straw sandals that the large, thin pork cutlets are said to resemble. Rather than being served with thick tonkatsu sauce, the freshly fried cutlets are dipped in a sweet soy-based sauce and laid over rice.
Pork
Ingredients
- 2–4 thin pork loin slices
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Pound the pork very thin, then season lightly with salt and pepper.
Breading
Ingredients
- Flour
- 1 egg
- Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Coat each cutlet in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing the crumbs in lightly.
Fry
Instructions
- Heat oil to 350°F / 175°C.
- Fry until golden and crisp, then drain.
Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 2–3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Combine the sauce ingredients and simmer briefly until slightly reduced.
- Quickly dip each entire cutlet in the sauce so it absorbs some flavor while staying crisp.
- Serve over rice, usually with 1–2 large cutlets on top.