Subscription Blog: Vegan Pork Tonzaksu Recipe

Written By Clifford Armstrong III

Introduction

Welcome to the Northern Seitan Subscription Recipe Blog! Today, we're excited to share a delicious and easy-to-make recipe for Vegan Porq Tonkatsu. This dish is flavorful with amazing textures. Whether you're a seasoned vegan or just exploring plant-based cooking, this recipe is sure to become a favorite in your kitchen!

About This Recipe

Tonkatsu is a 19th century Japanese dish with some Western influence. I first became aware of the katsu family of preparation via katsu chicken from Hawaiian barbecue establishments. When I went to grad school, I had a friend from Japan that prepared pork katsu in her apartment. I was already forgoing pork by this time so I didn’t eat any but I was very curious about the cooking process.

This vegan tonkatsu uses our Northern Seitan Whole Porq loaf and our Northern Seitan Eggless Ready-Mix, two ingredients that we’re very proud to say can easily replicate a meat-full flavor and texture experience. It’s our belief at Northern Seitan that people who choose not to consume meat shouldn’t have to compromise on flavor, cooking, or dining experiences…and this dish firmly delivers on this commitment.

Ingredients

  • Northern Seitan Whole Porq (Sliced horizontally into 3 cutlets) - ~ 550g

  • Eggless Ready-Mix (1/3 container) - 3 tbsp

  • Water - 1/3 cup

  • Flour (All Purpose) - 1.5 cups

  • Bread Crumbs - 1 cup

  • Vegetable Oil (for frying) - Variable (Depends on your frying dish, at least 2-3 cups)

Instructions

  1. Preparation:

    • Frying Oil

      • Pour Oil into large frying pan or pot. You want a large enough vessel for the cutlet to rise in the oil and stay off of the bottom of the pan.

      • Preheat oil to 325 - 350 degrees

    • Cutlet Prep

      • Pour flour into a large enough container to fully hold cutlet. I typically use a mixing bowl or baking sheet.

      • Pour Eggless Ready-Mix into a mixing bowl. Add water to the ready-mix and stir vigorously until mix is fully incorporated (should not take more than 15 - 20 seconds). The water/ready-mix is done when you have a viscous mixture that is similar to the texture of a lightly whipped/stirred egg.

      • Pour Panko Bread Crumbs into a similar container to the flour.

      • Line your 3 containers in a row starting with flour, then eggless mix, then bread crumbs.

    • Final Prep

      • Ensure you have utensils to tend to frying food, like tongs.

      • Ensure you have somewhere to place the cutlets once they complete cooking (A plate or baking sheet with napkins is great).

  2. Cooking Steps:

    • Step 1: Place a porq cutlet into the flour. Dress, press, and flip the cutlet a few times to ensure it is fully covered in flour. Once it is fully covered, shake free any loose flour then place it in the eggless mix.

    • Step 2: With the floured porq cutlet in the eggless ready mix, again, fully dress, press, and flip the cutlet until it is fully covered in the wet mix. Once it is fully covered, lightly shake free any excess wet mix and place in the bread crumbs.

    • Step 3: With the floured, and wet mixed porq cutlet in the bread crumbs, again, fully dress, press, and flip the cutlet until it is fully covered in bread crumbs. Once it is fully covered, lightly shake free any excess bread crumbs and gently place in the preheated frying pan.

    • Step 4: Fry the dressed porq cutlet in the oil until the batter is golden brown. Flip the cutlet at least once, about 1.5 minutes after placing in the oil. When the cutlet is golden brown, place on your container to cool down.

    • Repeat steps 1 - 4 for the remaining 2 cutlets.

  3. Finishing Touches:

    • Once the cutlet is able to be handled, place on a cutting board and slice 1/4 inch strips.

    • You may want to further cut the strips in half length-wise for plating.

Tips & Variations

  • Customization:

    • You can season the flour that you use for your batter. If you’d like to do this, we’d recommend black pepper and seasoning salt (salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, [different brands add other stuff past this point])

  • Serving Suggestions:

    • Serve with our Northern Seitan Tonkatsu sauce, rice, any additional sides of your choice. We love macaroni salad for this!

  • Storage & Reheating:

    • Store leftovers in the fridge, they’ll last up to a week in air-tight packaging.

    • Reheat in the microwave or baked in the oven.

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoy making and eating our Vegan Porq Tonkatsu as much as we do! If you try this recipe, don't forget to share your photos and tag us on instagram or facebook! Happy cooking!

Clifford Armstrong III