Name: Pork Katsu and Egg Rice Bowl (Katsudon)
Cuisine: 和食
Ingredients: 1 pork loin cutlet; 1/2 onion; 2-3 shiitake mushrooms; Flour, to taste; 2 eggs; Panko breadcrumbs, to taste; Salt, a pinch; Pepper, a pinch; Dashi stock, approx. 200ml; Soy sauce, approx. 50ml; Mirin, approx. 50ml; Asatsuki chives, to taste; Sansho pepper powder, a pinch; Frying oil, to taste

About "Pork Katsu and Egg Rice Bowl (Katsudon)"

To celebrate his 95th birthday, Iron Chef Rokusaburo Michiba makes his signature Pork Katsu and Egg Rice Bowl (Katsudon). Tenderized pork cutlet is fried to perfection, then simmered with onions, shiitake mushrooms, and eggs in a dashi-rich sauce. He shares practical home-cooking tips, including his golden ratio sauce (dashi:soy sauce:mirin = 4:1:1) and the secret of residual heat cooking.

Tips for Making "Pork Katsu and Egg Rice Bowl (Katsudon)"

Prep
- Tenderize the pork with a meat tenderizer. Thinly slice the onion and shiitake mushrooms using a mandoline.
Frying
- Fry at 170°C (340°F) for 3 mins until golden, then let residual heat cook it through on a tray.
Seasoning
- Use the 4:1:1 golden ratio (dashi:soy sauce:mirin) for a dashi-forward, perfectly balanced sauce.
Finishing
- Turn off the heat when the egg is perfectly soft-cooked. Garnish with plenty of chives and sansho pepper.

Ingredients for "Pork Katsu and Egg Rice Bowl (Katsudon)"

14 items

* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon

1pork loin cutlet
1/2onion
2-3shiitake mushrooms
Flour,to taste
2eggs
Pankobreadcrumbs, to taste
Salt,a pinch
Pepper,a pinch
Dashistock, approx. 200ml
Soysauce, approx. 50ml
Mirin,approx. 50ml
Asatsukichives, to taste
Sanshopepper powder, a pinch
Fryingoil, to taste

How to Make "Pork Katsu and Egg Rice Bowl (Katsudon)"

1
Use a meat tenderizer to make fine cuts all over the pork.
2
Thinly slice the onion and shiitake mushrooms using a mandoline slicer.
3
Season both sides of the pork with salt and pepper.
4
Coat the pork in flour, then beaten egg, and finally panko breadcrumbs.
5
Fry in oil heated to 170°C (340°F) for about 3 minutes, and remove when the surface turns golden brown.
6
Place the fried pork on a wire rack/tray to let the residual heat cook it through.
7
Mix dashi stock, soy sauce, and mirin in a 4:1:1 ratio to make the sauce.
8
Slice the pork cutlet into bite-sized pieces.
9
Spread the sliced onion and shiitake mushrooms in a pan, and arrange the sliced pork on top.
10
Pour the sauce over, bring to a boil, and once the vegetables are cooked, gently pour the beaten egg all over.
11
When the egg is soft-boiled, scatter plenty of chopped chives on top and turn off the heat.
12
Carefully ladle the katsu and egg over warm rice, garnish with more chives, and sprinkle with sansho pepper.

Food Science

Why This Dish Tastes So Good

Combining the inosinate in pork, glutamate in dashi, and guanylate in shiitake mushrooms creates a powerful umami synergy. Additionally, frying at a high temperature of 170°C (340°F) triggers the Maillard reaction for a fragrant crust, while resting the meat on a tray allows residual heat to cook it gently. This prevents rapid protein coagulation, retaining moisture for a juicy finish.

Umami SynergyTemperature & Heat Reaction

Detailed Commentary on "Pork Katsu and Egg Rice Bowl (Katsudon)"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

The 95-Year-Old Iron Chef's Secret to Vitality

Chef Rokusaburo Michiba, who celebrates his 95th birthday on December 17, was presented with a beautiful bouquet by his staff, reflecting deeply on reaching this milestone. His secret to health is simple: live naturally without overexerting himself. He still plays golf twice a week, incredibly walking all 18 holes. When it comes to food, he has no dislikes and believes in enjoying everything. He regularly eats beef, pork, and chicken, with chicken being his favorite. Showing his playful side by smiling naturally whenever the camera is on him, he warmly shared his joy at reaching 95 in great health and his fulfilling daily life.

Birthday Theme: Pork Katsu Tamajime

To celebrate his 95th birthday, Chef Michiba chose one of his favorite dishes: Pork Katsu. To write the menu, he picked up a brush with a practiced hand and wrote 'Pork Katsu Tamajime' in bold calligraphy. While he doesn't eat katsudon regularly, he says it is a special dish he occasionally craves. Today, instead of a standard katsudon, he is making a dashi-rich 'Tamajime' style. With the Iron Chef sharing professional techniques that can easily be replicated at home, anticipation is high even before the cooking begins.

Smart Prep and Breading Techniques

Moving to the kitchen, the katsudon prep begins. For the pork, Chef Michiba brings out a meat tenderizer he saw on a TV shopping channel. Always open to new things, he loves incorporating handy kitchen gadgets. After tenderizing the meat, he quickly slices the onion and shiitake mushrooms using a mandoline. Once prepped, he seasons both sides of the pork generously with salt and pepper, then coats it in flour, beaten egg, and panko. The thick, beautifully breaded pork showcases his professional craftsmanship even before hitting the oil.

Perfect Frying and the Golden Ratio Sauce

The breaded pork is fried in clean oil heated to 170°C (340°F). Watching the katsu sizzle, Chef Michiba happily remarks on how clean and pleasant the oil is. After frying for about 3 minutes until golden brown, he removes it and lets it rest on a tray to cook through gently with residual heat. Meanwhile, he prepares the crucial sauce: a 4:1:1 golden ratio of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. Slicing the rested katsu reveals a slightly pink center, proving it has been cooked to absolute perfection by the residual heat.

Finishing with Egg: Michiba-Style Katsudon

He layers the sliced onion and shiitake mushrooms in a pan, then arranges the sliced katsu on top. After pouring in the 4:1:1 sauce, he heats it up. Once the sauce boils and the vegetables soften, he gently pours the beaten egg over everything. Just as the egg reaches a perfect, soft-cooked consistency, he scatters plenty of chopped chives and turns off the heat. He carefully ladles the katsu and egg over warm rice in a bowl, keeping it intact. Garnish with more chives and a sprinkle of sansho pepper to complete the beautiful, dashi-scented Michiba-style Katsudon.

Dining with Granddaughter & Sweet Memories

Chef Michiba enjoys the finished katsudon with his granddaughter, Natsuki Samejima. Taking a bite, Natsuki praises it: 'Delicious! The thinly sliced onions, shiitake, and chives create a wonderful texture.' She notes that because it isn't overly sweet like typical katsudon and has a rich dashi flavor, it feels light and easy to finish. Enjoying his meal, Chef Michiba shares a warm memory of frequently visiting 'Bairin,' a famous katsudon restaurant in Ginza, with his late wife. 'Dishes like katsudon will never go out of style,' he says. Seeing him cook and heartily finish his meal at 95 truly shows he is a culinary superhuman.

[95th Birthday Celebration] Michiba-Style Easy & Hearty Katsudon - #150