Making tonkatsu sauce
First stir the sugar into the soy sauce until the crystals dissolve. Then add the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, garlic powder and pepper. Let the sauce rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. In that time the garlic powder swells, and the sharpness of the Worcestershire sauce fades. Japanese bottled sauces are cooked by the makers from fruit and vegetable puree, which is why they come out thicker. The article Tonkatsu Sauce in the kitchen knowledge section explains origins, types and store-bought brands.
The right ingredients
- Worcestershire sauce: The English sauce from the supermarket is the base. It brings sourness from vinegar and tamarind and a savory note from anchovies.
- Soy sauce: Use Japanese soy sauce. Chinese dark soy sauce colors more strongly and tastes of molasses.
- Ketchup: It adds sweetness and body. A ketchup without curry or chili works best.
Adjusting texture and flavor
- Thicker: Add 1 to 2 tbsp ketchup or simmer the sauce for 5 minutes over low heat.
- Less salty: Use only 2 tbsp soy sauce instead of 50 ml.
- Fruitier: A tablespoon of applesauce or finely grated apple gets you closer to the Japanese bottled sauce.
- More depth: A teaspoon of oyster sauce adds umami and makes the sauce glossier.
- Hotter: Replace the mustard with Japanese karashi or hot English mustard.
Is katsu sauce vegan?
Classic Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. With this recipe your katsu sauce is therefore neither vegan nor vegetarian. For a vegan sauce, buy vegan Worcestershire sauce without fish, which is available at health food stores and supermarkets. The rest of the recipe stays the same.
What does katsu sauce go with?
Its main use is Tonkatsu, the Japanese pork cutlet in panko. You drizzle the sauce over the sliced strips or serve it in a small dish on the side. In Japan, a mound of finely shaved cabbage lies next to it, and you pour sauce over that as well. It goes just as well with Korokke, the Japanese potato croquettes, and with Menchi Katsu made from ground meat. For a katsu sando, spread soft white bread with the sauce, put a cutlet and some cabbage in between, and cut off the crusts.
On Okonomiyaki and yakisoba, Japan uses its own, sweeter sauces. A teaspoon of honey in the katsu sauce gets you close. With fries and karaage, put the sauce on the table plain or stirred with mayonnaise.
Common mistakes
- Grainy sauce: The sugar has not dissolved. Stir it into the soy sauce first.
- Too thin: The sauce runs off the cutlet and softens the breading. Thicken it with ketchup.
Storing
Fill the sauce into a clean screw-top jar or squeeze bottle. In the fridge it keeps for up to two weeks. Write the date on the jar so you keep track. Shake it before serving, since ketchup and liquid separate.
