An Expert Method Helps You Fry Meaty Pork Chops to Crunchy, Juicy Perfection

Shallow frying the breaded pork chops results in beautiful golden brown tonkatsu.

Shallow-frying the chops in a cast-iron skillet produced the best results. Beth Fuller/TNS

Our crisp, juicy, well-browned pork tonkatsu starts with 3/4-inch-thick boneless chops with a thin fat cap. We cut slits in the fat to prevent the chops from buckling and then sprinkled them with salt. We revamped the bound breading process so that a triple dip—first in flour, then in egg, and finally in panko—coated the chops with the least possible mess and fuss.

We found that shallow-frying the chops in a cast-iron skillet produced the best results with the least amount of oil, and a unique setup for resting the chops helped keep them crispy from edge to edge.

Tonkatsu (Japanese Fried Pork Chops)

Serves 4

• 2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 4 (6-ounce) boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 4 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice
• Lemon wedges
• Soy sauce
• Prepared wasabi paste or Japanese mustard

Place cabbage in a salad spinner basket. Add a single layer of ice cubes to the salad spinner bowl. Set the basket on ice and add cold water to cover cabbage. Let sit until cabbage is cold and crisp, 10 minutes. Drain and spin until very dry. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Cabbage can be prepared up to 3 hours in advance.)