Tonkatsu sauce is intended for pork (ton) but this is chicken. It is a sauce made of mostly other prepared Western sauces.
- Catsup mostly
- Worcestershire sauce, less than catsup [these two main Western things are then Asianified]
- Soy sauce, less than Worcestershire
- Mirin (sweetened rice wine) less than Soy sauce
- Sugar, less than mirin
- Mustard, less than sugar
- Garlic, less than mustard
I used chile powder and ginger.
Tonkatsu's first ingredient is catsup, but I'm out of that so a tin of whole tomatoes is pureed and boiled down and flavored.
You will notice in catsup's ingredients both vinegar and sugar. This indicates catsup is actually a sweet/sour sauce. So brown sugar is added with cider vinegar and few other things that I like.
Now this mixture boiled down to sludge and flavored is portioned off and flavored additionally for tonkatsu sauce as already mentioned, but this part had to come first, because no catsup around here right now.
Then flour, and the flour helps the egg adhere and egg helps the panko adhere.
This is the best chicken breast I've ever prepared and ever eaten and that is no idle brag. I'm serious. There is something about pounding the breast halfway that tenderized the breast meat perfectly. This particular tonkatsu sauce is the best I've tasted. I am not bragging because I am starving again. I'm bragging because it is true. The breast is a cheap battery type chicken with nothing to recommend it but it worked beautifully for this. The flavors added to it are strong.
I guess I should add that the thickness is determined by anticipated cooking time on medium low heat. I'm thinking how long will it take to toast the panko in butter each side, taking it slowly so the chicken cooks through. Just that much frying and not more. And certainly not less. See the balance going on? The time is determined by toasting the bread in a pan, and the chicken is pounded to match that. This is my manner of visualizing and guessing and it works.
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