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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)

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:

  1. 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.
  2. Sprinkle one side with salt and ground black pepper.
  3. Coat both sides of the cutlets with flour, dip them in the beaten eggs, and press them into bread crumbs. Refrigerate.

    Pork cutlet (donkkaseu: 돈까스)Pork cutlet (donkkaseu: 돈까스)
    Pork cutlet (donkkaseu: 돈까스)Pork cutlet (donkkaseu: 돈까스)Pork cutlet (donkkaseu: 돈까스)

Make salad:

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

Make gravy:

  1. 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 .
  2. 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.
  3. Remove from the heat.
    Pork cutlet gravy (donkkaseu: 돈까스)

Fry the pork:

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

Put it together and serve:

  1. Reheat the gravy.
  2. Put some warm rice on the plate. Ladle hot gravy over top of the rice.
    Pork cutlet (donkkaseu: 돈까스)
  3. Put the sliced cutlet on top of the rice. Drizzle a bit of gravy over top.
  4. Place some shredded cabbage next to the pork and add cold mayonnaise dressing on top.
    Pork cutlet (donkkaseu: 돈까스)
  5. Serve hot with kimchi or yellow pickled radish.

Posted on Thursday, February 26th, 2015 at 1:59 pm. Last updated on August 10, 2021.
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24 Comments:

  1. sol89 Polska joined 2/22 & has 2 comments
    Posted March 28th, 2022 at 11:08 am | or create a profile.

    Oh my god, this is so good! And so easy to make, I love it about your recipes, they’re often really easy to follow, and better than you would expect with not that many ingredients.
    I just swapped a salad (I didn’t want vegetables with mayonnaise with deep-fried meat) for a simple tomato with a bit of white onion and yoghurt.

  2. Julesbel9 Connecticut joined 4/20 & has 1 comment
    Posted April 12th, 2020 at 12:50 am | or create a profile.

    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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  3. Ixj3ivivxi Oakland joined 12/18 & has 8 comments
    Posted April 24th, 2019 at 12:46 am | or create a profile.

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


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  4. XXanimeseekerXX North Carolina joined 6/18 & has 5 comments
    Posted June 27th, 2018 at 7:43 pm | or create a profile.

    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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  5. songy Columbus, GA joined 12/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted December 17th, 2017 at 5:19 pm | or create a profile.

    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!

  6. Yunas2014 Fayetteville,WV joined 11/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 8th, 2017 at 7:37 pm | or create a profile.

    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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  7. shimeringstars McKees Rocks joined 6/17 & has 13 comments
    Posted October 21st, 2017 at 8:51 pm | or create a profile.

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


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  8. armymum Southern NH joined 2/16 & has 4 comments
    Posted August 16th, 2016 at 12:49 pm | or create a profile.

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


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  9. Kitten joined 5/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 31st, 2015 at 6:12 pm | or create a profile.

    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 !

  10. Yaremi joined 4/15 & has 2 comments
    Posted May 31st, 2015 at 4:01 pm | or create a profile.

    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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  11. Stacy joined 4/15 & has 2 comments
    Posted April 15th, 2015 at 3:04 pm | or create a profile.

    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!

  12. UltimaKimBap25 Baguio City, Philippines joined 10/14 & has 2 comments
    Posted March 6th, 2015 at 12:48 am | or create a profile.

    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!

  13. coldheartedcat Lithuania joined 6/14 & has 1 comment
    Posted February 27th, 2015 at 1:43 pm | or create a profile.

    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!

  14. Daramzi83 New york joined 2/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted February 26th, 2015 at 11:00 pm | or create a profile.

    튀기고 남은 기름은 어떻게 사용하세요?
    전 그게 제일 고민이랍니다 ㅜㅜ 기름이 아까워서 튀김은 거의 생각도 못해요

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