There are many different types of Japanese fried meats, the most famous probably being chicken or pork katsu, which are all super delicious and popular. With Japanese panko (bread) crumbs (that you can buy in most grocery stores nowadays), you can easily make this amazing dish at home for yourself. Hirekatsu, is one type of delicious Japanese fried dishes that uses pork fillets rather than the loin, which is usually used in Tonkatsu. Hirekatsu is more tender than Tonkatsu, and with the secret ingredient of Japanese mayonnaise, you can make it even juicier and crispier! It’s a great Japanese dish to make one night for dinner or lunch!
I used to live near Nagoya in Japan, which is famous for Miso Katsudon (fried meat on top of rice with a miso sauce topping), and I whenever I went to Nagoya I always had to have Miso Katsudon because I love it so much. I tried to copycat the sauce they always served on top of the katsudon, which has a sweet miso flavour, and it actually worked out really well and tasted really similar. Miso sauce tastes soooo good on top of katsu, I love it! I will share a recipe for this sauce soon so stay tuned!
Japanese panko crumbs are the best to use when making Japanese fried dishes but if you can’t find it, you can used whatever bread crumbs you can find at your local store or you can just food process some frozen white bread and use that. This recipe also uses Kewpie mayonnaise during the coating process. Usually the pork fillets are coated in flour then egg and then the bread crumbs, but instead you can mix the flour and egg and also the mayonnaise together then coat the fillets in that before the bread crumbs. This cuts down the time and the mayonnaise makes it more crispier on the outside and keeps the meat juicy on the inside. And don’t worry if you don’t like mayonnaise because you can’t taste it at all. The crispy Hirekatsu is super delicious I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Hirekatsu – Japanese Deep Fired Pork Fillets
Ingredients
- 300 g pork fillet
- 1 egg
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 50 ml water
- 1 tbsp Kewpie Japanese Mayonnaise
- 2 cups Japanese Panko crumbs or any bread crumbs
- Deep-frying oil
- Finely shredded cabbage to serve
- Sesame seeds to sprinkle
Instructions
- Cut the pork fillet it even-sized thick slices.
- Mix the egg, flour, water, and mayonnaise in a small bowl to make a batter.
- Coat each pork fillet slice into the batter then place into the Panko crumbs.
- Coat all the fillets with the Panko crumbs.
- Heat frying oil in a deep pan until it reaches around 180 c.
- Fry each pork fillet slice until it’s crispy and golden brown on both sides.
- Serve the pork fillets with cabbage or vegetables of your choosing!
Harry says
How about the recipe for the miso dipping sauce?
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Harry the recipe for the miso sauce is in Miso Katsu Don recipe 😀
pablo says
I love it i will do it on my own soon!
Chopstick Chronicles says
Great! 😀 let me know how you go
Jerry says
Hi, first timer here today and I’m happy I found your blog because I have been wanting to make some Hire Katsu for my wife. She loves it, but I usually get it wrong. I didn’t know about adding the Japanese mayonnaise. So you fry the meat in deep oil at 180 C for how long? About 6 minutes maybe?. I wanted to make the slices about 2 inch thick, so is 6 minutes about right? And should they be submersed in the oil, or fried on one side and then flipped over? Finally, what oil do you recommend? I was going to use Canola oil. And – really last question – what cabbage? Can I use the green cabbage sold here in Europe, or shoul I buy Chinese cabbage? Many thanks for your help
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Jerry, Thank you for visiting. I should have timed how long it takes. Usually if you use chopsticks when the meat is cooked, you can feel tiny vibration when you lift the Katsu out of oil on the chopsticks. Yes this is deep fry so you submerse the katsu in the oil and canola oil is fine. Yes green cabbage, not Chinese cabbage(though you can use this if prefer Chinese cabbage :D) Let me know how you went.
Jerry says
Thank you, Shihoko. You have made me a kitchen hero :-). For now, anyway. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great, we loved it. I will soon try some of the other great recipes on your site. Thanks again.
AiPing | Curious Nut says
Yay!!! I love tonkatsu. I always eat it with Japanese curry. So delicious.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Me too AiPing! The left over will be eaten with curry 😀
Renz says
This looks so yummy. Too bad I don’t eat pork. I always wonder if any other meat could satisfactorily replace pork in these type of dishes and everyone around me yells NO!! hahah… looks really good though
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you Renz 😀 I am yelling YES!! to your question. You can replace with any meat! Chicken is popular, you can do with beef too!
Ange @ Little Kitchen Blue says
Oh wow, another fabulous recipe with gorgeous photos…I just want to grab a piece of that pork and dive right into the sauce…..I only recently discovered Kewpie mayonnaise – converted!
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you Ange:D Yes Ange you never go back to any other mayo!
Lisa H. | Lisa's Lemony Kitchen says
Beautifully plated. Looks inviting 😀
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you Lisa:D
Nikolina says
Thank god for your blog
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you Nikolina 😀