The Best Katsu Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional katsu sauce made of? ›

This sauce is the traditional Japanese accompaniment for tonkatsu — Japanese-style breaded pork cutlets. It's made from a specially balanced blend of applesauce, onion, tomato paste, carrots and traditionally brewed Kikkoman® Soy Sauce that adds flavor to meat and poultry.

The most popular tonkatsu sauce is the Bull-Dog Vegetable & Fruit Sauce (Tonkatsu Sauce). It's easy to recognize the signature bulldog logo on the bottle.

Short for tonkatsu, katsu sauce is essentially the Japanese equivalent of Western barbecue sauce. It's sweet and tangy with an umami undertone that packs a flavorful punch. You'll usually find it served with pork tonkatsu, a popular dish of breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet with cabbage and rice.

Several kinds of oils are used to make the frying oil, such as vegetable oil, lard, sesame oil, and olive oil. The amount of oil must be sufficient to completely submerge the meat. This is one of the secrets of frying, as it is this amount of oil which makes the tonkatsu so crispy, yet juicy inside.

If you're a fan of Japanese cuisine, you're likely familiar with katsu sauce. It is typically served alongside dishes like crispy katsu chicken and tonkatsu pork cutlets. The sauce is sweet, savory, and tangy. To me, it is reminiscent of American ketchup or barbecue sauce.

Red Pickles for Curry

Along with rakkyo, f*ckujinzuke is one of the most popular of Japanese pickled accompaniments, particularly with curry. Made from various finely-chopped vegetables such as radish, aubergine, cucumber, lotus root and shiso buds, it is pickled in soy sauce, sugar or mirin and a range of other spices.

There are two main cuts of pork used for tonkatsu: hire-katsu meaning “pork fillet”, and rosu-katsu, meaning “pork roast”. Hire-katsu is made with a lean pork tenderloin, while rosu-katsu uses a richer cut of pork that comes with a strip of fat along the side.

Similar in form to a German schnitzel, katsu is one of many Western foods that has been adopted, adapted to suit local tastes, and become a key part of Japanese cuisine. Katsu was invented in the late 1800s by a Tokyo restaurant that wanted to offer a European-style meat cutlet.

The only thing to be concerned about is temperature management. Too cold, and your bread crumbs will take too long to crisp, allowing the meat to overcook. Way too cold, and they'll slough off before they can even set. Too hot, and they'll burn before the meat is done.

What does katsu mean in Japanese? ›

In Japanese language and culture, "katsu" (勝つ) has the primary meaning of "to win" or "victory." It is often used in contexts related to competitions, sports, and contests. The term is associated with success and triumph.

Another advantage of tonkatsu sauce in terms of taste is it's resistant to quality deterioration and oxidization thanks to vinegar, salt, and spices. However, for best quality and longer expiration date, it's recommended to refrigerate tonkatsu sauce once opened.

Katsu curry powder is a blend of spices commonly used in Japanese cuisine to make Katsu Curry sauce. It is a popular dish in Japan, typically used with breaded and fried meat or vegetables. This Katsu curry blend is made up of coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, fennel, garlic, chillies and more.

Frying the Chicken Katsu at the right temperature ensures that it cooks quickly and evenly without becoming too oily. Once the Chicken Katsu is fried, place it on a wire rack to drain excess oil. This will help to keep the Chicken Katsu crispy.

Tip #4: Double-fry it

The key to great tonkatsu is to twice-fry the pork so you don't overcook the meat. Deep-fry the pork once, then let it sit on a wire rack to continue cooking on the inside with the residual heat. After a few minutes, deep-fry it a second time to get that perfectly crispy, golden exterior crust.

Sushi, often these restaurants serve Katsu curry, but despite the common misconception katsu refers to the crispy breaded meat or tofu, not necessarily the curry! Japanese curries range in many flavours, but they are not the same as Chinese or Indian curries and have quite a distinguishable taste.

What is katsu curry made from? The curry sauce is the combination of curry powder, turmeric, chicken stock, coconut milk, and soy sauce, along with onions, garlic, and ginger. Served with basmati white rice and breaded chicken.

It is a thick (viscosity over 2.0 pascal-second, per JAS Standard) Japanese Worcestershire-type sauce. It is similar to a brown sauce (British Isles), and can include a fish sauce, tomatoes, prunes, dates, apples, lemon juice, carrots, onions, and celery among its ingredients.

Katsu is a crispy fried cutlet of meat or seafood made with flaky Japanese panko breadcrumbs.