Menchi Katsu (Japanese Ground Meat Cutlet)
How about trying Menchi Katsu—crispy on the outside and filled with rich, juicy ground meat on the inside? This popular Japanese fried dish is a perfect choice for anyone looking for something satisfying and hearty.
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Servings: 6 menchi katsu
Ingredients
- 5.3 oz onion
- a pinch of salt (for the onion)
- 5.3 oz ground beef
- 5.3 oz ground pork
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg powder
- 1 large egg (about 2.1 oz/60 g, including shell)
- 3 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp milk or soy milk
- about 1.4 inches (3.5 cm) of neutral oil in a pot (for deep-frying)
For breading:
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 large egg (about 2.1 oz/60 g, including shell)
- ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion. Heat oil in a pan, add the onion along with salt, and sauté over medium heat until softened and translucent. Once softened, remove the pan from the heat and let the onion cool to room temperature, either in the pan or by transferring it to a separate dish to speed up the cooling process.
- In a bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Knead the mixture until it becomes sticky and cohesive. Once it reaches this stage, add the cooled onions, egg, panko breadcrumbs, and milk, and continue kneading until everything is well combined.
- Divide the mixture into equal portions according to the number of menchi katsu you want to make (I divided mine into six portions). Take one portion and shape it into a ball, then gently toss it back and forth between your hands about 10 times, as if playing catch, to remove any air pockets. Shape each portion into an oval or round patty about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. (In Japan, a typical patty weighs about 2.7 ounces / 70-80 g.)
- Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat it. Prepare two containers, one with flour and the other with panko breadcrumbs.
- Coat each patty in this order: flour, beaten egg, and panko breadcrumbs. Make sure the patty is thoroughly coated at each stage.
- Heat oil in a pot to 320℉ (160℃). Once the oil is hot, carefully add the patties one at a time. Deep-fry them for 4 minutes, flipping once halfway through.Be careful not to add too many patties at once, as this can cause the oil temperature to drop significantly. The patties should occupy no more than about two-thirds of the oil’s surface area.
- Remove the fried patties from the oil and let them rest on a wire rack for at least 4 minutes. If there are any fried bits left in the oil, skim them out with a mesh skimmer or strainer. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all the patties are fried.
- Increase the heat and raise the oil temperature to 360℉ (180℃). Then, carefully add the patties back into the oil one at a time and fry them for about 2 minutes until golden brown. As before, avoid adding too many patties at once.
- Remove the patties from the oil and let them drain on a wire rack. If there are any fried bits left in the oil, skim them out with a mesh skimmer or strainer, then repeat steps 8 and 9 until all the patties are double-fried.
- Serve the menchi katsu with fresh vegetables, such as shredded cabbage, if desired. They are delicious as is, but you can also drizzle them with Worcestershire sauce or tonkatsu sauce to taste.
Notes
- You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Once the menchi katsu has completely cooled, wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap and place them all in a freezer bag; they can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.
- The Nutrition Facts label assumes that the amount of oil absorbed by the menchi katsu patty is approximately 10% of its weight.
Nutrition
Calories: 293.24kcal Carbohydrates: 13.96g Protein: 12.7g Fat: 20.49g Saturated Fat: 5.16g Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.4g Monounsaturated Fat: 10.3g Trans Fat: 0.35g Cholesterol: 90.67mg Sodium: 336.2mg Potassium: 227.92mg Fiber: 1.07g Sugar: 1.99g Vitamin A: 85.84IU Vitamin C: 2.03mg Calcium: 47.55mg Iron: 1.76mg
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