Perfect Homemade Katsu Curry

Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil and immediately pour it over the cabbage.

Fill a sandwich bag with water and close tightly. Add the bag on top of the cabbage to act as a weight to ensure all of the cabbage is submerged in the hot pickling liquid.

Let sit at room temperature until it cools completely. Remove the weight (sandwich bag) and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Add ¼ cup (56g) butter to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, add the onions and cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the temperature between medium and low as needed so the onions don’t burn. If the onions do start to cook too quickly add a splash of water to deglaze the pan. Cook the onions until they are deeply caramelized.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the shitake mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are rehydrated, about 2 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set the mushrooms and stock aside.

To the caramelized onions, add the apple, tomato paste and rehydrated mushrooms. Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the apple softens. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Place the same pot back on the stovetop and heat over medium heat. Add ½ cup (112g) butter and let it melt.

Once the butter is melted, add the flour and constantly whisk for 30 seconds or until the flour is rehydrated and beginning to bubble.

Stir in the garam masala, curry powder, and MSG. Continue to whisk until the spices are toasted, about one minute.

Add the onion and apple mixture back into the pan and stir to combine with the spices.

Stir in the soy, Worcestershire, honey, and the reserved shiitake mushroom infused chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, until the sauce thickens. Once thickened, continue to simmer for about 2 minutes and adjust the seasoning with salt to taste.

Add the sauce to a blender and blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth. With the blender still running, add the remaining 3.5 Tbsp (50g) of cold butter, 1 Tbsp at a time until it is all completely incorporated and emulsified.

Pass the sauce through a fine mesh strainer and keep warm until ready to serve.

Before cooking the rice, add it to a fine mesh strainer. Place the strainer in a large bowl and fill it up with water. Toss the rice to remove excess starch and then lift the strainer and drain the rice. Empty the bowl and repeat this process one more time to clean the rice.

Place the cleaned rice into a rice cooker with the water and cook according to your machine. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Score the fat cap of the pork chop all the way down to where the meat begins; this will prevent the meat from curling up when cooking. Next, using a very sharp knife, score the meat lightly on both sides in a crosshatch pattern, going no more than ⅛” (3mm) deep.

With a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pot, pound the pork chops until they are about ½” (12mm) thick.

Season the pork on both sides with salt and a pinch of MSG. Place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes but ideally overnight.

When ready to fry, set up your breading station. To one large bowl add the flour. In a second large bowl whisk together the eggs and a splash of water until evenly combined. In the third bowl add the panko breadcrumbs. Place a baking sheet at the end of the breading station. Add one piece of pork to the flour and press the flour into both sides until it is completely coated. Lift from the flour and shake off any excess. Add the pork to the eggs and ensure both sides are evenly coated. Finally, place in the panko bowl and firmly press the breadcrumbs into the pork to fully coat both sides. Add to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces of pork.

Fill a 7-8 quart (6.6-7.5L) heavy bottomed pot just over halfway with oil. Heat to 340℉ (170℃). Line a baking sheet with a cooling rack and place that next to the hot oil. Fry the pork chops, one or two at a time for 4-6 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove to the cooling rack and immediately season with salt to taste. Repeat cooking the rest of the pork.

To a bowl add a portion of steamed rice, leaving a ¼ of the bowl open to ladle in the curry.

Right before serving, thinly slice the pork katsu. Add the sliced pork to the rice, letting just the edge fall into the curry. Add some of the Yukari pickled cabbage next to the pork katsu. Garnish the katsu with the furikake and thinly sliced green onions. Serve.