Hamukatsu Sando (ハムカツサンド, fried-ham sandwich)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small heavy pot or deep frying pan
• •Frying thermometer, or a wooden chopstick for checking oil
• •Abura-kiri (oil-draining rack), or a wire rack set over a tray
• •Serrated bread knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry the cabbage

   Shred the cabbage as finely as you can, soak it in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and spin or towel-dry it until no water clings to it. The cold water wakes the leaves and the drying matters more than the soaking. Wet cabbage is a small flood inside soft bread.

   Cabbage should snap, not drip. This sandwich lives or dies by keeping the crisp things crisp.
2. 2

   Ready the bread

   Trim the crusts from the shokupan if you want the clean konbini shape. Mix the mayonnaise with the karashi, if using, and spread it thinly on the inside faces of the bread. The fat slows the tonkatsu sauce from soaking into the crumb, and karashi cuts the sweetness without making a speech.

3. 3

   Bread the ham

   Pat the ham dry again. Set the flour, the egg beaten with cold water, and the panko in three shallow dishes. Coat each ham slice lightly in flour, shake off the excess, dip it in egg, then press it gently into the panko. Flour gives the egg something to hold. Panko gives the crust air. Press enough to attach it, not enough to crush it flat.

4. 4

   Heat the oil

   Pour oil 1 inch deep into a small heavy pot and heat it to 170 C / 340 F. Without a thermometer, drop in a few panko crumbs; they should sink for a moment, rise, and foam steadily. The ham is already cooked, so the oil's job is only to crisp the crust and warm the center before the ham gives off moisture.

5. 5

   Fry the cutlets

   Fry two ham slices at a time for 60 to 90 seconds per side, until the panko is evenly golden and sounds dry when lifted with chopsticks. Move them to an oil-draining rack, abura-kiri, or a wire rack set over a tray. Paper alone traps oil underneath, and the underside softens while you congratulate yourself too early.

   Do not chase a dark crust. Hamukatsu wants a light, dry crunch, not a heavy fried shell.
6. 6

   Sauce and stack

   Brush the upper face of each fried ham slice with tonkatsu sauce, keeping the coat thin. Lay cabbage on two slices of bread, stack two ham cutlets on each, then close with the remaining bread. The sauce belongs here, but too much makes the panko slack and hides the modest good thing you just made.

7. 7

   Press and cut

   Set a light board on the sandwiches for 1 minute, just enough to settle the layers. Cut each sandwich into three bars with a serrated knife, wiping the blade between cuts so the face stays clean. Serve at once, with extra tonkatsu sauce in a small dish. Leave it room on the plate.

Chef Tips

• •Choose firm cooked pork ham cut 8 to 10mm thick. Paper-thin deli ham can be stacked in a pinch, but it won't give the same quiet bite. If the ham tastes watery or metallic, tonkatsu sauce will not rescue it.
• •Use fresh panko if you can. The crumbs are larger and more open, so the crust fries light instead of forming a hard coat. If you only have dry panko, crush it less than your hand wants to.
• •Japanese tonkatsu sauce is the expected sauce here, dark, fruity, and gently sharp. If you cannot find it, a quick mix of Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, a little soy sauce, and sugar will get dinner on the table, but call it a stand-in.
• •Assemble just before eating if you want the crust crisp. For a packed lunch, cool the cutlets fully, dry the cabbage thoroughly, and wrap the sandwich tightly after cutting.

Advance Preparation

• •The cabbage can be shredded, soaked, dried, and refrigerated in a covered container up to 1 day ahead. Add a paper towel to catch stray moisture.
• •The ham can be breaded up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated uncovered on a rack. Fry it straight from the refrigerator so the coating stays set.
• •Do not assemble the sandwiches far ahead if crispness matters. The finished sandwich is best within 15 minutes, though it will hold for 1 hour in the softer konbini style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 370g)