Katsudon (Tonkatsu Donburi)

This Japanese dish is a favorite of my daughters as well as me. I tried substituting rice cooking wine for the mirin, and it's good, but not the same. This tastes just like what we ate while I was stationed in Japan. 

1 Tbsp peanut oil
Pork cutlet
Panko
1 Scallion, sliced lengthwise and then into 1 inch pieces
3 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked for 1 hour, drained (or fresh and not soaked) and sliced
3 Tbsp chicken broth
1 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp grated ginger
1 egg, partially beaten
Green onion, sliced, for garnish
Rice, cooked

Bread the pork cutlet with panko. Heat a small frying pan. Add the oil and the pork cutlet and cook on both sides, not overcooking the panko.



Cut the cutlet into strips. Add the scallion and mushrooms.

Mix the broth, mirin, soy, and ginger. Pour into the pan and continue cooking for a moment as the sauce reduces down by half. Pour on the beaten egg and cover the pan to steam. As soon as the egg sets up, the dish is ready to serve. Slide out onto the top of a bowl of rice, pouring the remaining sauce over the cutlet. Garnish with remaining green onion.

Donburi means on a bed of rice. A variation of this is oyakodon, literally parent and child donburi, using chicken breast instead of the pork cutlet.