Donkatsu

Growing up as a Korean American, I was lucky enough to have home cooked Korean food pretty much everyday, along with the traditional spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, you name it. As a kid I would stand in the kitchen and watch my mom run around cooking some sort of fabulous meal, and that would be after she came home from work. But I remember how she'd chop the onions a particular way, the mushrooms sliced not too small because they'll shrink, and chopped garlic was usually going in last depending on the dish. Now.. the most glorious part of idling in the kitchen was being the taste tester. Sort of like the judges on Iron Chef, I would nod with appreciation or shake my head saying things like, "Something's missing.... more soy sauce!" And so my mom would go ahead and make the adjustments. In the present moment, at the ripe age of 28, I would call my mom to ask what ingredients would go into a "deng jang jjii gae" (which is a fermented soybean paste soup with tofu and vegetables) or how to make "galbi jjim" (which is to come on this blog!). I know when most people hear 'Korean food', they think 'Korean barbeque', but there's so much more complexity to the foods.

Now I know donkatsu is a Japanese dish, but my mom used to make this at home and I would just keel over from excitement and salivate while waiting. So I thought I'd share this easy recipe with you!


Ingredients
4 pork chops
1 egg
Salt and pepper
Flour
Panko bread crumbs (Japanese brand that's crunchier)
Oil and pan for frying
Meat tenderizer

1) Clean pork chops. Cut off excess fat and pound down using the meat tenderizer (if you layer the meat with saran wrap before pounding, it keeps the tenderizer clean). Make small cuts all throughout the meat. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.

2) Cover pork loin with flour. Dust off excess flour.
3) Add a bit of water to the egg and mix. Cover the pork loin in the egg.
4) Cover in panko bread crumbs.
5) On medium high heat, fry pork loin until golden brown on both sides. When finished, it's best to place the pork on a paper towel to soak up some of the oil.

Whenever I visit Mitsuwa, this huge Japanese grocery in Arlington Heights, they serve the donkatsu with a small side of macaroni salad, miso soup, and rice. Here I served kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage) as a side. 

And to top it off, a picture of me and Mom! Love you, Mom! <3