Tonteki

Instructions

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Over a small bowl, grate ¼ onion (use about half of it) and set aside.
3. Shred ¼ head green cabbage into thin slices (I'm using a Japanese cabbage shredder) and cut 1 tomato into wedges.
4. Make the sauce. In a medium bowl, combine 3 Tbsp ponzu, 3 Tbsp sake, and ½ Tbsp soy sauce. Whisk it all together.
5. In order to sear the meat perfectly, pat dry 2 boneless pork loin chops (½-inch thick) with paper towels. Removing the moisture will prevent the meat from steaming.
6. Make a pair of slits on the connective tissue between the meat and the fat on both sides of the meat. Red meat and fat have different elasticities and will shrink and expand at different rates when cooked. These slits allow the pork loin chops to stay nice and flat while cooking instead of curling up.
7. Season one side of the meat with ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper (the sauce is salty, so you can skip the salt here if you'd like).
8. Coat the meat with 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour) and remove the excess flour.
9. Heat the frying pan over medium-high heat and add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. When the pan is hot, add the pork loin chops. Cook for 4 minutes on each side. Don't flip until the bottom is nice golden brown. If you‘re preparing more than 2 pieces, cook them in batches. Give some space between the meat to ensure nice searing and prevent steaming of the meat. Browning the meat gives an important flavor component. The meat should be flat to get evenly golden brown, and that's why making slits is important in step 6.
10. If you see protein coming out of the meat, you can remove it and wipe off the excess oil (optional).
11. Add the sauce and grated onions to the pan.
12. Pour the sauce over the meat with a spoon and coat the meat well.
13. If you eat with chopsticks, transfer the meat to a cutting board and slice it into bite-size pieces. Serve the Tondek with the shredded cabbage and tomatoes. Pour the extra sauce over the cabbage, if you'd like. Garnish with parsley (optional).
14. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.