Katsudon - My Hero Academia
Let's delve into Deku's favorite dish from My Hero Academia: "katsudon."
Hello everyone! How was your Christmas? Did you enjoy spending time with your warm family and friends? Or did you have a lovely, relaxing day by yourself? I hope the special Christmas atmosphere, delicious food, and favorite gifts created wonderful memories for all of you.
Now, for today's anime recipe, I’ll be sharing one of the most requested dishes! You know the delicious meals that appear in your favorite anime scenes? They always make us want to try making them ourselves! Today, I’ll be showing you a recipe that lets you recreate one of those iconic dishes, so I hope you’ll join me and give it a try!
Katsudon is one of the most popular comfort foods in Japan. It’s a dish made with a breaded and fried pork cutlet, onions, and egg, all simmered in a sweet and savory soy sauce-based broth, and served over rice. It shows up a lot in My Hero Academia as Deku's favorite meal.
This might be a bit of a niche topic, but if you’re a My Hero Academia fan, you’ve probably noticed the different styles of katsudon that pop up. For example, in one scene, the katsudon is made by simmering onions in a soy-based sauce, adding eggs, and then placing a crispy, freshly fried pork cutlet on top. This style keeps the cutlet crispy, so you can enjoy that satisfying crunch.
But in Season 1, Episode 9, we see the more classic style, where the egg is poured over the cutlet. This is the kind of katsudon you’ll find in most places in Japan. The onions and cutlet simmer in a soy-based broth, and once the cutlet soaks up all that delicious flavor, the egg is poured on top. The result? A perfect balance of crispy and juicy that’ll have you coming back for more.
The cutlet soaked in a sweet and savory sauce makes the best katsudon! Definitely give it a try!
servings 1
[ Tonkatsu / Pork Cutlet ]
1 pork shoulder loin
a little salt and pepper
1 tbsp flour
¼ beaten egg
½ cups panko / breadcrumbs
1 cup oil
[ Broth ]
50 ml (1/5 cup) dashi broth (You can use either homemade dashi or granulated dashi.)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tsp sugar
¼ medium onion
[ To Serve ]
2 egg
1 bowl cooked rice
mitsuba leaf / spring onion / nori seaweed / parsley as your choice
[ To Make Broth ]
The recipe for making dashi broth is explained in detail in the link below.👇
In a small saucepan, bring the dashi broth, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar to a light boil.
[ To Prepare ]
Slice the onion.
Beat the eggs in a bowl.
[ To Make Tonkatsu ]
To prevent the pork from curling up, use a knife to cut the border between the fat and lean. Be careful not to cut all the way through, or the flavor and oil of the meat will be lost.
Using your fingers, massage the meat to soften it. If there are any hard parts, use a knife to cut the tendons.
Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Sift the flour and sprinkle it evenly on both sides, then remove the excess flour.
Dip in beaten egg.
Dredge in panko and press gently. It doesn’t have to be fluffy because the panko will pop up during deep frying.
[ To Deep Fry ]
Heat oil in a deep pot or pan to 180ºC (350ºF).
Place a piece of panko or a wooden chopstick in the oil. When small bubbles appear around it, the oil is ready for frying.
Add the pork. Fry for 3 minutes on each side or until crispy and golden brown. If you over-fry it, the meat will lose its moisture and become less juicy and dry.
Take out the pork and remove excess oil by holding it vertically for a few seconds. Place it on a wire rack or paper towel and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Cut the pork cutlet into 4-5 pieces by pressing the knife straight down instead of moving it back and forth.
[ To Finish ]
Serve the rice in a donburi bowl.
In a small frying pan (a frying pan for katsudon or oyakodon is recommended), add the dashi broth and onions you have prepared, and place over low heat. If possible, cover the frying pan with a lid to prevent the broth from evaporating too quickly.
When the onions are cooked, pour in the beaten egg evenly.
When the egg is half-cooked, add the cutlet. Simmer for about 1 minute on low heat, then place it on top of the rice.
Garnish with mitsuba leaf, spring onion, or parsley, if desired.
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