Japanese · Serves 2
with Sesame Roasted Carrots & Ginger Rice
It’s pretty tough to beat the rich flavor and crispy texture of Japanese katsu. In this riff on the dish, we coat pork chops in sour cream and panko, then shallow-fry them until crunchy and golden brown. Ginger-infused rice and sesame-studded roasted carrots make the perfect pairing, and tangy, savory-sweet katsu sauce tops every crunchy bite.
Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce.
Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into 1⁄2-inch-thick pieces. Peel and mince or grate ginger. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.
Toss carrots on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until tender, 20-25 minutes.
Once roasted, carefully toss with sesame seeds.
While carrots roast, heat a drizzle of oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add ginger and scallion whites; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.
Stir in rice, 3⁄4 cup water (11⁄4 cups for 4 servings), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes.
Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, pat pork* dry with paper towels; place between two large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a mallet or rolling pin until pork is about 1⁄2-inch thick.
Place panko, garlic powder, salt (we used 1 tsp; 2 tsp for 4 servings), and pepper in a gallon-size zip-close bag.
Place sour cream in a medium bowl; add pork and turn to evenly coat.
Add coated pork to bag with seasoned panko and seal to close. Shake until pork is evenly coated. TIP: You may need to move around pork chops in bag, pressing with your hands, to spread out panko and make it stick.
Swap in chicken* for pork. TIP: If your cutlets are already ½ inch thick, you can skip the pounding.
Heat a 1⁄4-inch layer of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium- high heat. Once oil is shimmering and hot enough that a pinch of panko sizzles when added to pan, add coated pork (discard any remaining panko in bag).
Cook until panko is golden brown and pork is cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. (For 4 servings, cook in batches.)
Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Cook coated chicken as instructed until cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side.
Place katsu sauce in a small microwave- safe bowl; microwave until warmed through, 30 seconds.
Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) and season with salt and pepper.
Divide rice, pork, and carrots between plates. Drizzle pork with katsu sauce. Sprinkle with scallion greens and serve.
Chicken is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°.
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