Ibérico Pork Katsu Sando

This is my version of a stunning pork katsu sando recipe, the glorious Japanese invention taken to another level when preparing it with crispy fried secreto ibérico pork served in soft white bread with a tasty tonkatsu sauce and shredded white cabbage. A must-try for those who are serious about sandwiches.

📕 Recipe here

🔪 Ingredients
8 slices of thick white bread
400g secreto ibérico pork
200g of Panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs
100g plain flour
Vegetable oil for frying
Kewpie mayonnaise, or regular mayonnaise
Japanese mustard or Dijon mustard
¼ small white cabbage, finely shredded
For the tonkatsu sauce:
8 tbsp of ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp of freshly grated ginger

🔥 Method

Mix together all the ingredients for the tonkatsu sauce and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
Finely shred the white cabbage and place in a bowl of iced water to crisp up. After 10 minutes, drain and dry on some kitchen paper.

Trim any excess fat and cut into 4 pieces secreto ibérico and season with salt and pepper then coat them in the flour. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl and spread the Panko breadcrumbs out on a plate. Dip the ibérico pork first into the egg, then into the breadcrumbs, making sure they are well-coated.

In a deep fat fryer or deep, cast iron pan, heat an inch of oil to 180°C.

Fry the pork pieces two at a time for 2 minutes on each side, moving the pieces frequently to ensure even browning. Let the secreto pork rest on a wire rack for a couple of minutes.
Lightly toast the bread and place 4 slices on a chopping board. Spread a thin layer of mustard, followed by a generous layer of mayonnaise. Place a piece of secreto ibérico on top of each slice of bread and top with tonkatsu sauce followed by some shredded cabbage. Top with the remaining slices of bread. Cover with cling film and place a tray with some weight on top to press the sandwiches for 5 minutes.

To serve the katsu sando, trim the crusts from each sandwich to square it off, cut into 4 pieces and serve.