Let's Cook Okonomiyaki ! (11)

1 Name: KJI!XDpPLAUYlQ 2005-10-30 22:30 ID:BxEQGqbL

Not sure if there's a thread for this already, but if so I apologize.

I was googling for a restaurant that served this in my area, and came across the first recipe... and a quick look at other links brought up the rest. (You can easily google for more.)

Haven't tried it yet, but I plan to as soon as I have time.

http://www.japan-guide.com/r/e100.html
http://markun.cs.shinshu-u.ac.jp/hobby/okonomi/index-e.html
http://japanesefood.about.com/od/holidaytraditionalfood/r/okonomiyaki.htm
http://www.inet-shibata.or.jp/~ytoshi/japan/food/fastfood/okonimiyakiya.htm

Wiki entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okonomiyaki

2 Name: Apprentice Chef 2005-11-01 17:59 ID:SPKOYNvO

2GET

3 Name: Apprentice Chef 2005-11-01 20:37 ID:vSTTb2UU

Mmmm, okonomiyaki! GOOD LUCK SIR

4 Name: Apprentice Chef 2005-11-02 15:10 ID:ux652sAp

I'd like to try this, but what the hell do I do with the leftover cabbage?

5 Name: Apprentice Chef 2005-11-02 17:12 ID:1JfmmrfU

looks good mmmmm.

6 Name: Apprentice Chef 2005-11-02 19:29 ID:Idi8iwWK

>>4
coleslaw?

7 Name: Apprentice Chef 2005-11-02 20:09 ID:iD53o+1W

>>4
don't cut up too much cabbage then.
If you just happen to though, you can use it another dish. Yakisoba is a good answer. Or maybe serve the cabbage along with tonkatsu.

8 Name: Apprentice Chef 2005-11-03 02:11 ID:ux652sAp

>don't cut up too much cabbage then.

I meant the 3/4 to 2/3 of uncut cabbage remaining. 'slaw and Yakisoba sound good. Anyone got a good recipe link? And what's tonkatsu?

9 Name: Apprentice Chef 2005-11-03 03:13 ID:iD53o+1W

tonkatsu is a breaded (in panko, a japanese breadcrumb with a great texture) and deepfried pork cutlet, often served along side a bed of shredded cabbage and served with tonkatsu sauce.
Simple, but good.

10 Name: Apprentice Chef 2005-11-03 04:36 ID:ux652sAp

Deep frying is a bother...

Maybe I could find the pork premade, like the frozen fried chicken you can stick in the oven. Thanks for the info.

11 Name: Apprentice Chef 2005-11-03 05:50 ID:iD53o+1W

hm...I've never seen pork like that....I've seen the chicken like that, and if you can find pork that is similar to the chicken, I don't think it would work too well. It may sound odd, but there's not really a substitute for just-made tonkatsu. The taste and texture are important... The ingredients used in tonkatsu are very simple, unlike a large number of packaged products. The simplicity of the ingredients really shine through.

There are some tips to make it easier/tastier though.

  • use a thin cutlet. about 1.25cm-1.5cm is good. Pork loin cutlets work nicely for this, actually. If needed, pound the cutlet out a little. This will also increase the surface area.
  • use only as much oil as you must. You don't need to actually "deep fry" it in a large pot of oil. You can rather "shallow fry" it in a smaller pan, using only as much oil as necessary. This means less oil is wasted, especially if you're only making small quantities.
  • remember, the oil doesn't instantly go bad and unusable just because you've fried something small in it once. Keep the oil around for the next day, especially if you want more tonkatsu the next day. If the oil is dark and disgusting, just throw it out though (although that wouldn't likely be after only one use).
  • don't forget to season it with salt! Really, the only seasoning you really need for it IS salt. Just sprinkle a little on before you bread it. Oddly enough, this small step can mean the difference between "That was okay..." and "UMAI~!!!"
  • Don't keep the fire on too high! Medium or med-hi temp is usually all you need (depending on the cooktop). Luckily, because tonkatsu is made with relatively thin cutlets, it cooks quickly and evenly.
  • For the breading, please use panko. It may sound odd that one type of breading can be so much better than another, but it really makes a difference. Panko has a tendency to crisp up much more nicely than most other breadcrumbs, not to mention having a different taste.

Of course, if you know how to make tonkatsu, it's not too hard to make katsudon...

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