Menchi Katsu (Printable Version)

Juicy fried patties wrapped in crispy panko, paired with zingy sauce—perfect for dinner or late-night snacks.

# Everything You’ll Need:

→ Menchi Katsu Patties

01 - ½ teaspoon powdered gelatin (skip if you're not into it)
02 - 50 ml chicken broth (just if you want to get fancy)
03 - 1 teaspoon butter, unsalted
04 - 100 g onion, tiny chopped
05 - 100 g ground beef (or half pork/half beef, for sautéeing with onions)
06 - 150 g ground beef (or a beef-pork blend, main batch)
07 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
08 - ½ tablespoon mirin
09 - 1½ tablespoons whole milk
10 - 3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
11 - 1 egg yolk
12 - ½ teaspoon tomato ketchup
13 - 1 teaspoon sugar
14 - 1 pinch ground nutmeg
15 - 1 pinch salt and black pepper

→ Dredging and Breading

16 - 85 g plain flour
17 - 1 large egg
18 - 150 g panko breadcrumbs
19 - dried parsley (sprinkle for serving)

→ For Frying

20 - neutral oil (enough for deep frying, like canola or rice bran)

→ Katsu Sauce

21 - 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
22 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
23 - 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
24 - 1 dash olive oil
25 - 1 dash rice vinegar

# Steps to Cook:

01 - Set the patties on a plate, drizzle some sauce over, then top with parsley. Dig in while they're nice and hot.
02 - Grab a bowl and dump in the ketchup, Worcestershire, oyster sauce, olive oil, and a tiny splash of vinegar. Mix with a spoon until it's smooth.
03 - After resting, crank the oil to 180°C. Drop the patties back in and give each side another 1-2 minutes until they're golden and extra crispy. Let the oil drip off on your rack.
04 - Heat your deep pan with oil to around 160°C. Fry the patties two at a time so you don't lose temp. Fry each side about 2 minutes till they're looking set.
05 - Once patties have chilled, take each one and roll first in flour, then dunk in beaten egg, and finally press into the panko. For extra crunch, go for egg and breadcrumbs one more round, pushing them on.
06 - Line up three plates: one for flour, another for panko, and the last for that beaten egg.
07 - Split the meat mixture into four, make oval shapes, set on a tray, cover, and let those guys hang out in the fridge half an hour so they stay firm.
08 - Pop the main ground beef into your bowl. Drop in salt and pepper, the panko that soaked up milk, the yolk, ketchup, a sugary shake, a pinch of nutmeg, and scoop in the cooled beef-onion mix. Chuck in jelly bits now if using. Mix everything up until it looks even.
09 - Toss panko into a bowl and pour in the milk. Let the breadcrumbs drink it all up for a few minutes.
10 - Splash in mirin and Worcestershire, let things cook till not much liquid's left. Pull off heat and wait until the pan isn't hot anymore.
11 - Heat up a pan over medium, melt in the butter, then throw in onion and sweet-talk it until it gets soft and a bit brown. After that, pile in the smaller batch of ground beef and cook till it smells pretty great and gets a touch of color.
12 - In a microwave-safe bowl, let the gelatin soak in broth for 5-10 minutes. Microwave in short bursts just until it all melts, then pop it in the fridge to set a couple hours. If you’re adding, break it up into chunks before mixing in.

# Extra Suggestions:

01 - Chill the patties before coating so they're less likely to fall apart.
02 - Go for a double dip with egg and panko if you crave that thick crispy bite.
03 - Canola or rice bran oil work great for frying, since they don't taste like much and can handle high heat.

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