Japanese Deep Fried Hamburger Cutlets Recipe (Menchi-Katsu)

Menchi-Katsu(メンチカツ) is a very popular, Japanese deep fried meat dish. It's called a deep fried meat cutlet, meat croquette, or fried meat cake. It's very similar to the Japanese korokke or croquette, but korokke are mainly mashed potatoes with some ground beef. Menchi katsu are basically a deep fried, breaded hamburger. They are served with Worcestershire sauce and cabbage. They can be eaten as a stand alone dish with rice, a "donburi" on top of a bowl of rice, with curry and rice(katsu-kare), or on a bun like a hamburger. Any way, they are delicious and satisfy any meat lover.

Serves 4     375 cal./serving

Ingredients:

• 11 oz.(300g) ground beef or pork
• 1/2 onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• fresh cabbage leaves
• vegetable oil
• flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• breadcrumbs
• mustard and/or Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Finely chop onion, bell pepper and 2-3 cabbage leaves.
2. Saute onions in an oiled pan until clear.
3. Season meat with Worcestershire sauce and salt. mix in sauteed onions, bell pepper, and cabbage.
4. Use ground meat mixture to make about 8 oval/football shaped cutlets. Indent the middle a little.
5. Dip each cutlet first in flour, then beaten egg, and finally breadcrumbs. Deep fry over medium heat until breadcrumbs turn golden brown.
6. Remove from oil and drain on a rack or absorbent paper. Serve with a mound of diced cabbage and/or other greens,and Worcestershire sauce, and mustard if desired.

Variation:

• You can also serve on a bun, just like a hamburger.