Tonkatsu is a Western idea that Japan perfected. Breaded cutlets arrived with European cooking in the Meiji era, and in 1899 a Tokyo restaurant called Rengatei began deep frying them in plenty of oil, the way tempura was cooked, and serving them with finely shredded raw cabbage instead of fussy cooked vegetables. The cabbage was reportedly a solution to a shortage of cooks, which makes it one of history's more successful staffing decisions. Today tonkatsu has restaurants devoted to nothing else.

The secrets are a thick cut of pork, coarse airy panko and steady oil, which together give a crust like a crisp shell and meat that stays juicy right to the middle. Sliced into strips and served with rice, miso soup and that tangle of cold cabbage, it is one of the great comfort meals of Japan, and a fine choice for a Suzuka race morning or night, depending on your time zone.

The shredded cabbage

Ingredients

• 1/2 small green cabbage

Tonkatsu sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) ketchup
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon or Japanese mustard (karashi)

The cutlets

Ingredients

• 4 boneless pork loin chops
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup (65 g) all purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (120 g) panko
• 6 cups (1.4 liters) vegetable or canola oil

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