Pork cutlet

Donkkaseu 돈까스

Today I’m going to introduce you to the Korean way of making a pork cutlet, called “donkkaseu” in Korean. It’s an iteration of the Japanese tonkatsu which was the Japanese take on the European schnitzel. It’s a hot, savory, breaded pork cutlet, and my version is served on a bed of rice and Hi-Rice sauce, with a side of kimchi and a side of cabbage salad.

These days donkkaseu is sold everywhere, in all kinds of restaurants, but when I was young it was only served in Western-style restaurants (called Gyoungyang-sik). That kind of food was new and exciting and they sold hamburger steaks, beef cutlets, pork cutlets, omelette rice, and steaks. It was more expensive than Korean restaurants, but it wasn’t totally a Western either: every dish was served with kimchi and rice, and usually a pickle, too.

These days Western food is all over Korea, but in those days eating Western-style food with a knife and fork was an exotic thing to do. My friends would say: “Are you ready to use a knife and fork today?” We all knew what that meant! Donkkaseu! We thought it was so cool!

The Hi-rice sauce I use goes perfectly with donkkaseu but if you can’t find it, you can use regular gravy, or even ketchup. Using Hi-rice sauce for this is my invention, but it really tastes like the donkkaseu gravy I used to have in those Gyoungyang-sik places all those years ago. The minute I tasted it, I was brought back to my old middle school days and my old friends in the restaurant!

Someday I’ll make a hi-rice recipe for my website and show you how this gravy is usually used, but in the meantime you can use it to make donkkaseu.

The word “donkkaseu” is an odd word, and I never knew what it meant until I started learning English. “Don” is based on the Chinese character for pork, and “kkaseu” is taken from the Japanese “katsu” which is their loanword for “cutlet.” The Japanese version of this dish is called “Tonkatsu” and donkkaseu is our Koreanization of that. It sounds kind of funny!

Ingredients (Serves 4)

4 thin slices (1 pound) pork loin or tenderloin (beef, chicken, or turkey)
kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅓ cup all purpose flour
2 cups ppang-garu (Korean bread crumbs or Japanese panko)
3 eggs, beaten with a pinch of kosher salt
Steamed rice
3 cups corn oil

For gravy:

1 package (100 grams: about ¾ cup) of hi-rice powder
2 tablespoons butter
2½ cups water
¼ cup ketchup

For cabbage salad:

½ medium head cabbage, shredded, rinsed in cold water, strained, and refrigerated
1 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey or sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup

Directions

Prepare the cutlets:

Use a meat tenderizer or (the back of your kitchen knife) to pound and flatten the sliced pork into cutlets about 7 by 5 inches and ¼ to ⅛ inch thick.
Sprinkle one side with salt and ground black pepper.
Coat both sides of the cutlets with flour, dip them in the beaten eggs, and press them into bread crumbs. Refrigerate.

Make salad:

Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, honey (or sugar), and ketchup in a bowl and mix well and refrigerate it.

Make gravy:

Heat the butter in a heavy sauce pan over medium high heat. When it’s half melted, add the hi-rice powder and stir well with a wooden spoonfor about 2 minutes until well mixed .
Add water and stir well. Add the ketchup and mix well. Keep cooking, stirring occasionally for 8 to 10 minutes until it bubbles and thickens.
Remove from the heat.

Fry the pork:

Heat up the corn oil over medium high heat until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fry the pork until both sides are golden brown, turning them over a few times with tongs. It will take about 12- 13 minutes.
Strain the pork and pat off the excess oil with a kitchen towel.
Cut into strips.

Put it together and serve:

Reheat the gravy.
Put some warm rice on the plate. Ladle hot gravy over top of the rice.
Put the sliced cutlet on top of the rice. Drizzle a bit of gravy over top.
Place some shredded cabbage next to the pork and add cold mayonnaise dressing on top.
Serve hot with kimchi or yellow pickled radish.

Posted on Thursday, February 26th, 2015 at 1:59 pm. Last updated on March 12, 2015.
Tagged: donkatsu, donkkaseu, 돈까스, 돈까스 소스, gyeongyangsik, katsu, Korean cooking, Korean cuisine, korean food, Korean kitchen, Korean recipes, Korean style Japanese pork cutlet, Korean style pork cutlet, Maangchi's recipes, pork cutlet, schnitzel, tonkatsu, tonkatsu sauce

21 Comments:

Julesbel9 Connecticut joined 4/20 & has 1 comment
Posted April 12th, 2020 at 12:50 am | Log in to reply.

Fell in love with donkkaseu when I went to South Korea a few months ago and I’ve been dying to have it again. I finally found some extra time on my hands and decided to make it myself! I made one with pork, and one with chicken. Could not be happier with the results, it tasted just like what I had in Korea! Thank you for the recipe <3

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Ixj3ivivxi Oakland joined 12/18 & has 8 comments
Posted April 24th, 2019 at 12:46 am | Log in to reply.

Another successful recipe!! ❤️❤️ Better than what I’ve ordered at restaurants! Thank you!!

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- Ixj3ivivxi Oakland joined 12/18 & has 8 comments
  Posted April 24th, 2019 at 12:47 am | Log in to reply.
  
  Recipe*
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted April 24th, 2019 at 3:25 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  It looks perfect! Congratulations!
XXanimeseekerXX North Carolina joined 6/18 & has 5 comments
Posted June 27th, 2018 at 7:43 pm | Log in to reply.

So, I’ve been really itching to make your recipes and this is the first thing I went for because my family loves pork. They ADORED this and I loved it as well. I can’t wait to get the chance to make more of your delicious food and share more stories with you. Bye!

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- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted June 28th, 2018 at 7:53 am | Log in to reply.
  
  Wow your donkkaseu plating can’t be better! It makes me crave donkkaseu now! : )
songy Columbus, GA joined 12/17 & has 1 comment
Posted December 17th, 2017 at 5:19 pm | Log in to reply.

Hey Maangchi, what soup is it that is normally served with Donkkaseu at Korean restaurants. I wanted to make that also with this recipe. Thank you!
Yunas2014 Fayetteville,WV joined 11/17 & has 1 comment
Posted November 8th, 2017 at 7:37 pm | Log in to reply.

I made this for dinner,my husband love this.I don’t have Hi-rice powder,I don’t have Korean market around here,will drive for 6-7hrs.I made my own sauce.It was so delicious

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shimeringstars McKees Rocks joined 6/17 & has 13 comments
Posted October 21st, 2017 at 8:51 pm | Log in to reply.

This recipe is so good my family absolutely loved it and I will definitely be making this again!

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- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted October 24th, 2017 at 11:10 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  Congratulations! It looks very delicious!
armymum Southern NH joined 2/16 & has 4 comments
Posted August 16th, 2016 at 12:49 pm | Log in to reply.

HI Maangchi!!!! Waving “Hello” from NH!!!! Made your Donkkaseu again today!!!! SO good, Love this stuff!!!!!

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- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted August 21st, 2016 at 11:23 am | Log in to reply.
  
  Donkkaseu time! Thank you for sharing the photo with us! It looks crunchy with juicy sauce!
Kitten joined 5/15 & has 1 comment
Posted May 31st, 2015 at 6:12 pm | Log in to reply.

Hi dear Maangchi,
I want to make cheese Donkkaseu, but when can I put the cheese on your recipe..?
Thank you for all your work !
You’re gorgeous !
- Han_jinhee Greece joined 10/20 & has 1 comment
  Posted October 2nd, 2020 at 1:29 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  Hi,
  (Sorry I’m not Maangchi) You can put your cheese slice(s) between two pieces of pork, like a sandwich, and then coat with flour, egg, and bread crumbs.
  Hope this helps!
Yaremi joined 4/15 & has 2 comments
Posted May 31st, 2015 at 4:01 pm | Log in to reply.

Hi Maangchi, I visited Korea last year and I became obsessed with the food & the K-Dramas . I’ve followed your recipes to cook for my friends and they’ve always loved the food, actually this the first time I’ll be able to post a photo since before everything was gone before I had time to take one. Thanks for an amazing blog.

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Stacy joined 4/15 & has 2 comments
Posted April 15th, 2015 at 3:04 pm | Log in to reply.

My question is about the hi-powder for gravy. If I can’t find or get the Hi powder packet for the gravy..is there a Another substitute in the American grocery stores that may work..such as a beef brown gravy packet by a company like McCormick or any brown gravy packet that is easily available in general local store.
I don’t think it will be the same at all unless there is some kind of gravy.
Thank you and I love all your videos!
- splitnugget usa joined 6/13 & has 1 comment
  Posted May 1st, 2015 at 1:05 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  I used the McCormick brown gravy packets and it came out great! Everyone loved it.
UltimaKimBap25 Baguio City, Philippines joined 10/14 & has 2 comments
Posted March 6th, 2015 at 12:48 am | Log in to reply.

Hello Maangchi!
I tried your recipe with veal. It turned out great!
My family loved it. I am planning to cook for my school this dish!
Thank you Maangchi! Kansahamnida!

P.S. do you by any chance have your version of Tongdak-Gui? Thank you!
coldheartedcat Lithuania joined 6/14 & has 1 comment
Posted February 27th, 2015 at 1:43 pm | Log in to reply.

waiting for my chicken breast to unfreeze :D my grandparents grew their own chickens in summer (30 of them!!!) and their meat is sooo good (though I felt really guilty eating it… I saw them as cute little chicks ): ) as soon as I saw this recipe, I went to the shop and bought bread crumbs :D can’t wait!
Daramzi83 New york joined 2/15 & has 1 comment
Posted February 26th, 2015 at 11:00 pm | Log in to reply.

튀기고 남은 기름은 어떻게 사용하세요?
전 그게 제일 고민이랍니다 ㅜㅜ 기름이 아까워서 튀김은 거의 생각도 못해요
- janehuh joined 4/15 & has 1 comment
  Posted April 14th, 2015 at 9:09 am | Log in to reply.
  
  People have told me to recycle…pour it through a strainer and put it in a jar. You can use it next time.
  That’s what I hate about frying things too.

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Pork cutlet
Other English name(s): Tonkatsu (from Japanese)
Korean name: 돈까스
Romanized: Donkkaseu
Other Korean name(s): 돈가스 (donkaseu)

Categories: main dish, non spicy, pork, snack
Made with: beef tenderloin, bread crumbs, butter, cabbage, chicken, corn oil, eggs, flour, ground black pepper, Hi-rice sauce, honey, ketchup, kimchi, lemon juice, mayonnaise, pork loin, rice, salt, sugar, water, yellow pickled radish,