Ham Katsu

Instructions

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. With the 8 slices of ham, stack 2 slices of ham for each cutlet. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
3. Optional: To increase the fluffy and crispy texture of the panko, spray some water on 1½ cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and fluff it up with your hands.
4. Dip the stacked ham into ¼ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour), then shake off the excess. Next, run the ham through 1 large egg (50 g w/o shell) (beaten) to coat it on both sides.
5. Finally, lay the ham in the panko. Turn it over and gently press it into the breading to coat. When you deep-fry, the panko will become fluffy again so don't worry about pressing it.
6. Add neutral oil to a heavy-bottom pot and heat the oil to 340ºF (170ºC). You will at least need 1 inch of oil. You can check the temperature by inserting wooden chopsticks. When small bubbles appear around the tips of the chopsticks, the oil is ready. Or, throw a piece of panko into the oil. If the panko immediately comes right back to the surface, the oil is ready. Read more about How To Deep-Fry Food.
7. Gently drop the panko-coated ham in the oil and deep-fry for 1 minute on the bottom side. Try to maintain the oil temperature by adjusting the heat. If you're new to deep frying, a deep-fry thermometer is helpful.
8. Once the bottom side is a nice golden brown, flip and cook for about 45 seconds on the other side. Remove the cutlets from the oil and let the excess oil drip off.
9. Then, transfer the cutlets to a wire rack or plate lined with a paper towel. Before you start the next batch, always pick up the crumbs in the oil (they will darken the oil if you leave them).
10. Once they are cool enough to handle, slice the cutlets in half and serve immediately. Serve with tonkatsu sauce on the side. I like to garnish with parsley and put a small amount of Japanese karashi hot mustard on the plate. Just like the drama Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories, I served Ham Katsu with shredded cabbage, tomato wedges, and Japanese potato salad.