“Is there more rice?”  No matter what wonderful food accompanies steamed rice, this is precisely the question I get each and every time I serve my husband steamed white rice.  Something so simple, and yet he always wants more.  It’s enough to drive me crazy given the work that went into the other elements of dinner, but at least I know he’s enjoying his dinner.

For a recent Asian inspired dinner, I made homemade Japanese Tonkatsu. Crispy fried pork on top of rice, with a salty, sweet, savory slightly sticky syrup that is drizzled over the top.  And yes, underneath all that goodness was the rice.  Did he want more rice?  Always, but the plate was sure clean before he asked for more.

Tonkatsu Inspired Pork Chops

Breading

• ¼ cup flour
• ½ tsp chipotle seasoning (or seasoned salt)
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp water
• ½ c bread crumbs, or Japanese panko

Have three bowls ready. Put flour and ¼ tsp seasoning in one, put the egg and water in another (beat to combine), and put the breadcrumbs and ¼ tsp seasoning in the last.

Tonkatsu Pork

• 6 thin cut pork chops (boneless)
• ¼ c canola oil
• ¼ tsp chipotle seasoning or seasoning salt

Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce

• 1/3 c soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger (*)
• 2 Tbsp rice wine vingear
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

To make the sauce, put all ingredients in a small sauce pan, and stir over medium high heat. Allow to simmer until reduced by half.

To bread the pork chops, dip first in flour and shake excess flour from the pork chops. Then dip into the egg wash, then dip into the bread crumbs.

Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add the pork chops to the hot oil. Cook about 4-5 minutes per side until the breading is golden brown. Remove from the pan, sprinkle immediately with seasoning and place on a paper towel to absorb extra oil.

To serve, slice the pork chops and serve over steamed rice. Drizzle with the Tonkatsu sauce.  Serve with a lime wedge.  Spritz with lime before eating.

Serves 4

(*) I keep my ginger in the freezer and grate with a micro plane so I always have it handy.