Menchi Katsu Recipe: 3 Tips for Making Ground Meat Cutlets
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Aug 19, 2022 • 2 min read
Menchi katsu is a classic example of yōshoku—Japanese recipes inspired by and adapted from Western-style dishes.
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What Is Menchi Katsu?
Menchi katsu is a breaded and fried minced meat cutlet. (“Menchi” is derived from the English word “mince.”) To make menchi katsu, cooks form round meat—usually, a combination of ground beef and ground pork—into a patty, bread it with a layer of wheat flour, egg, and airy, crispy panko breadcrumbs, then deep-fry until it’s golden brown. In Japan, menchi katsu is served with sweet and savory tonkatsu sauce or Worcestershire sauce, sometimes mixed with ketchup.
Menchi katsu is a hybrid of korokke (a Japanese-style croquette featuring meat, seafood, or vegetables combined with mashed potato) and tonkatsu (breaded and fried pork cutlet). The meat patty is a popular item in bento boxes or served alongside shredded cabbage and lemon.
3 Tips for Making Menchi Katsu
Menchi katsu is a basic iteration of the katsu formula—the key to mastering it is in the patty.
- 1. Use both beef and pork. Using both ground beef and ground pork creates an added depth of flavor and juiciness. Start with equal parts of each, or adjust the ratios to preference. (If there’s a Japanese market in your area, they may even sell pre-mixed ground meat, called aibiki niku.)
- 2. Refrigerate the meat before breading. Chilling the meat before breading will make it easier to shape and coat with flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Refrigeration will help firm up the fat in the meat mixture, similar to the way chilled butter firms pie dough, trapping all the flavor in the patty as soon as it’s exposed to heat.
- 3. Oil your hands before shaping. Just like when making meatballs, the hand-kneaded meat mixture will eventually become quite sticky. Oiling your hands before shaping will make the process go quicker—which also means the warmth from your hands is less likely to melt all the flavorful fat as it’s being handled.
Menchi Katsu Recipe
makes
prep time
30 mintotal time
55 mincook time
25 minIngredients
- 1
Heat olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the onion, and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, and let it cool.
- 2
Add the meat, milk, olive oil, 1 tablespoon panko, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the bowl with the onions. Knead with a wooden spoon or your hands until well combined and sticky. If the mixture feels too soft, add a little more panko.
- 3
Divide the meat mixture into equal portions—2 large or 4 small. Shape into a patty and place on a half-sheet pan or plate. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- 4
While the patties chill, place the flour, beaten eggs, and panko on separate plates or shallow bowls. Before you take the patties out, heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer or frying pan. (There should be enough oil to submerge the patties.)
- 5
Carefully coat the ground meat patty in flour, tapping off the excess before dipping in the beaten egg, followed by the breadcrumbs.
- 6
Working one at a time (or 2 at a time, if your patties are on the smaller side), fry for a few minutes on either side, until golden brown and crispy. Transfer the patties to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack to blot away any excess oil, then serve while hot with tonkatsu sauce or Worcestershire sauce.
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