My love for Katsu (especially Menchi Katsu)

My love for Katsu is strong. I’m pretty sure that one of the things that made me fall in love with katsu was that my mom was really good at making pretty much any kind of Katsu and we regularly ate it throughout my childhood years. It was my Japanese soul food that I couldn’t live without. It’s hard to say which one is the best, but if I had to make a choice, I would say Tonkatsu is my favorite!

And I remember, when I was pregnant with my son, I was craving Katsu so bad, that I had to eat it whenever I see it. I had some hesitation to eat Katsu so often while I was pregnant and I remember thinking if it’s really fine for my little peanut growing inside me, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Katsu and nothing could stop me from having them ;P

Japanese Katsu’s growing popularity in the US

It seems Tonkatsu and Katsu Sando has started to become very popular in the US. Tonkatsu is basically a deep fried version of the American pork chop, and who doesn’t like deep fried food? 😉 But people are so busy these days, what if there was a more convenient way to eat this tasty dish, perhaps in the form of a sandwich. That’s how the Katsu Sando came about. Here is a photo of what it looks like, doesn’t that look tasty!

What do you eat Katsu with?

The way I like to eat Katsu is simply by itself, so that I can enjoy the tastes and flavors of those simple ingredients. However, if I put something on it, I usually pick soy sauce. I think Tonkatsu sauce is well known and popular as Katsu sauce for most of the various kinds of Katsu, but for vegetable Katsu, some go well with Ponzu. Try if you haven’t! 🙂

Tonkatsu sauce
(とんかつソース)

Soy Sauce
(しょうゆ／醤油)

Ponzu
(ポン酢)

Katsu Dishes

There are other ways to enjoy Katsu, like Katsu curry rice (かつカレーライス), Katsudon (かつ丼), and Katsu Curry Udon (かつカレーうどん), etc. When I make Tonkatsu, I sometimes make more than the amount I serve to my family for dinner. I use the leftover pieces in a different katsu dish (like in the below pictures) the following day for lunch.

What is Menchi Katsu?

Now I would like to introduce Menchi Katsu. If you describe Menchi Katsu in a simple way, it is a deep fried minced beef ball. You make minced beef into ball shapes like this:

And dress them up with flour, beaten egg, and bread crumbs (パン粉), and then deep fry it in heated oil.

Yum, I can hear the sizzling sound from this picture and it’s making me want to have them right now!

If you want to know how to make Menchi Katsu, please let me know in the comments below and I will prioritize adding it to my growing list of recipes just for you!

Here is a photo of a recent Menchi Katsu dish I made for my family…Eat Well, Be Happy!

Read more about Tonkatsu in this blog post: Tonkatsu and Tonkotsu: Do You Get Them Confused?

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The post You may know Tonkatsu and Katsu Sando, but have you heard of Menchi Katsu? appeared first on EATwithOHASHI.

I can’t decide which hot pot I like the most, but I think Sukiyaki is probably my husband’s favorite. With Sukiyaki you dip the meat and vegetables into raw egg as you eat. So we typically go to our nearby farmers market to buy fresh eggs which we can safely eat raw. We don’t use eggs purchased from the local grocery stores, out of an abundance of caution.

Doesn’t the meat in the raw egg look so yummy? I think many Americans are fearful of raw egg, but you should definitely try, it taste so good! But just make sure you buy fresh eggs from a local farmers market. And be sure to check with them that it’s safe to eat raw.

If you like to read about other hot pots, I recommend you these posts:

-Shio Koji Hot Pot Recipe – A Healthy Japanese Dish
-Hot & Spicy Soups / Hot Pots – Too Perfect For Those Cold Days
-Make Shabu Shabu at Home is Actually a Great Idea! – Japanese Shabu Shabu Hot Pot
-Shio Koji Hot Pot Could be the Next Big Hit in the US, Move Aside Tonkotsu Ramen!

Eat Well, Be Happy

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The post Sukiyaki (すき焼き): My Favorite Dish to Eat When I’m Missing Japan appeared first on EATwithOHASHI.

Like this one:

Tabletop Stove

These are very common in Japan and used throughout winter when the entire family gathers around a nice warm pot of Japanese soul food.

And ideally, you want to use clay hot pot like this:

Clay Hot Pot

Alternatively, you could use a deep frying pan/skillet instead of clay hot pot.

Deep Frying Pan

Most of the effort is in the preparation, which is quite easy. Just chop and clean vegetables. Don’t you love the colors of the meat and vegetables in this photo? I’m getting hungry just looking at this photo while writing this post. I guess I will need to make a Japanese hot pot again soon.

The tricky part is finding a butcher or grocery store to slice the Shabu Shabu meat for you. Japanese supermarket is the easiest option, as you can find prepared meat, specifically for Shabu Shabu.

If you have any questions on where to buy these things or need advice, please comment below.

If you like to read about other hot pots, I recommend you these posts:

-Shio Koji Hot Pot Recipe – A Healthy Japanese Dish
-Hot & Spicy Soups / Hot Pots – Too Perfect For Those Cold Days
-Sukiyaki (すき焼き): My Favorite Dish to Eat When I’m Missing Japan
-Shio Koji Hot Pot Could be the Next Big Hit in the US, Move Aside Tonkotsu Ramen!

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The post Make Shabu Shabu at Home is Actually a Great Idea! – Japanese Shabu Shabu Hot Pot appeared first on EATwithOHASHI.