Sweet and Sour Pork Katsu Sando

Method

1. Shred the cabbage as finely as you can, soak in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and dry completely. Mix the ketchup, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and water in a small saucepan for the glaze.

   Add in this stepCabbage 80 gKetchup 2 tbspSugar 4 tspRice vinegar 4 tspSoy sauce 1 tspWater 2 tbsp

2. Cut through the strip of sinew between fat and meat every 2 cm with the tip of a knife so the pork stays flat, then pound it to 1 cm thick with a meat mallet or the back of a knife. Season with salt and pepper, coat in flour, then beaten egg, then panko, pressing the crumbs on firmly with your palm.

   Add in this stepBoneless pork loin chop (1.5 cm thick, about 120 g) 2Salt 2 pinchBlack pepper 2 pinchAll-purpose flour 2 tbspEgg 1Panko breadcrumbs 60 g

3. Pour oil 1 cm deep into a 26 cm pan (×2 means fry in two rounds) and heat over medium heat for 4 min to 170°C: a crumb dropped in should sizzle and float straight away. Lay the pork in away from you and fry 3 min per side until both sides are golden. Stand on a rack for 3 minutes; the carryover heat finishes the center (63°C inside if you have a thermometer).

   Add in this stepVegetable oil for frying 250 ml

   medium heat

4. Reduce the glaze in the 14 cm saucepan over medium-low heat for 2 min until it coats a spoon thickly, then turn off the heat. Brush it over both sides of the katsu.

   medium-low heat

5. Pat the pineapple dry, heat a dry pan over medium-high heat and sear it for 3 min, turning once, until the edges caramelize.

   Add in this stepPineapple rings (canned) 2

   medium-high heat

6. Butter one side of each bread slice thinly and toast butter side down in the same pan over medium heat for 3 min until light golden.

   Add in this stepThick white sandwich bread (1.5 cm slices) 4Butter 10 g

   medium heat

7. Spread mayonnaise on the toasted sides, then layer cabbage, katsu, pineapple and more cabbage and close the sandwich. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, press under a plate for 3 minutes, trim the crusts and cut in half to show the cross-section.

   Add in this stepMayonnaise 2 tbsp