Pork Katsu Curry

Pork katsu curry, also known as Katsukare in Japan, is one of the most popular dishes in the country’s cuisine. It has become a favorite amongst the Japanese people to cook at home. Nothing says comfort food like a crispy yet juicy pork cutlet with flavorful curry sauce, over a bed of warm, steaming white rice. Pork katsu curry is the best dish to enjoy after a long day.

Curry is a popular dish in India, but Japan has also grown to love it due to British influence many years ago. Many in Japan use instant curry sauce that they can find at convenience stores during “curry nights.” The vegetables you usually find in curry are typically potatoes, carrots, ginger, and the like. The protein you use can vary –– chicken curry is an ever popular variant, and even we Filipinos have our own spin on it. Some even use meat like beef, or even seafood. Curry pairs so well with a warm bowl of rice –– the only downside is you might end up wanting even more!

The marriage of crispy tonkatsu and delightful curry in this pork katsu curry recipe is hard not to love. Both kids and adults will really enjoy this awesome dish, especially when it’s made with a lot of love.

How to Make Pork Katsu Curry

There are several components to a great katsu curry, which include your rice, your pork, your brine, your breading, and the curry itself. Each component requires its own ingredients, which all come together harmoniously to produce this delightful dish. The amount of ingredients and procedures may seem a little intimidating, but don’t worry! You’ll find that this katsu curry recipe is incredibly easy to follow.

Brine

The first step to making pork katsu curry is to make your brine. The brine is what you put your pork chops in in order to infuse it with subtle flavor even prior to cooking. It also helps in making your pork cutlet more tender. The ingredients for your brine solution are water, ice cubes, salt, brown sugar, and bay leaves.

Make your katsu curry’s brine by combining all these aforementioned ingredients into a pot, except for the ice cubes. Bring your mixture to a boil, and stir it continuously until your sugar and salt dilutes. Let it cool down, and turn your stove off. Combine your brine solution with ice cubes.

Arrange your 3 pieces of pork chops in a resealable plastic bag, and pour in your brine solution and ice cubes. Seal your plastic bag, and put it in the refrigerator. Let your pork chops and brine mixture stay for about 8 hours, but no longer than that. This will give your pork cuts ample time to tenderize and absorb these subtle flavors.

Katsu Curry Sauce

The next step to making your katsu curry is to make the curry sauce. The curry sauce is the part of your recipe that requires the most ingredients, which contributes to the sauce’s complex flavors. For this, you’ll have to prepare some of your ingredients beforehand. Chop your onions and slice your carrots; do the same with your potatoes, cutting them into cubes. Grate your ginger and garlic, doing the same to your apples after peeling them. Now you’re finally ready to make your curry sauce.

Take your 2 tablespoons of butter and melt them into a pan. Toss in your onions, letting them cook until they soften. Then, add in your garlic and ginger. Stir your ingredients together, then add in your carrots and potatoes. Continue to cook your curry for about a minute, before adding in your apples and a cup of water. Cover your pan and let it cook for about 6 minutes. Then, set it aside.

Now is the time to make your roux, which you will need in order to bring your curry to a thicker consistency. in one cooking pot, melt in 3 tablespoons of butter. Add your all purpose flour gradually, stirring it slowly and thoroughly. Do this for about 4 more minutes.

Add in a tablespoon each of curry powder and garam masala. Stir these together, incorporating your ingredients well for about a minute. Pour 1 ¾ cups of water into your cooking pot, to add to your sauce and thicken it. Once you’ve reached your desired thickness, add in your 1 piece of Knorr Pork Cube and stir some more. Add the potatoes, onions, and other vegetables into the same pot, and mix your ingredients together well. Toss your vegetables and spices around in the sauce, so as to spread it evenly. Do this for about 3 to 5 minutes, and season it with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Once it’s been about 3 to 5 minutes, set your curry aside.

Tonkatsu

Now is the time to make your actual tonkatsu in your katsu curry! Prepare, in separate containers, your flour, breadcrumbs, and eggs, for your breading (make sure to beat your eggs, too). Take the pork you had refrigerated out of the oven and rinse it with running water. Make sure to pat it dry with paper towels after, too. Heat oil in a cooking pot to about 350F. As it does this, take your pork chop and dredge it in the flour first. Make sure to shake off the excess, so as to avoid crumbly pieces of breading later. Dip the dredged pork cutlet in egg, and then once again in breadcrumbs. Place them on a wire rack while waiting to fry them one by one.

Deep fry your pork chop in the hot pot of oil. The outer portion of your pork should turn a beautiful golden brown, and the internal temperature should read about 145F or more. Make sure to flip your pork every so often to make sure you’ve cooked both sides well. Once you have the nice golden brown color you’re after, remove your pork cutlet from the pot and let it cool down. Pat it against a paper towel if you wish to soak up excess grease. Then, slice it into serving pieces.

Make sure you’ve cooked enough rice beforehand –– you’ll need it now. Arrange a cup of rice on a plate and top it with your slices of tonkatsu. Then, pour your steaming, warm katsu curry sauce on top. And there you have it –– your katsu curry is ready! Serve it warm and share and enjoy it with your loved ones after a long day.

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