Hire-katsu (ヒレカツ, pork filet cutlet)

Hire-katsu begins with the quietest cut of the pig: the tenderloin, pale, soft, and almost too polite for deep frying. People worry that lean pork will turn dry under a crust. It will, if you treat it roughly. Cut it into thick rounds, salt it early enough to season the meat, and fry it only until the center is just cooked. That's the whole bridge from fear to supper.

Fresh panko does the showy work, but the oil temperature decides the dish. At about 170°C, the crumbs set into a light shell while the filet warms through before it has time to tighten. Too cool and the crust drinks oil. Too hot and the outside darkens while the center is still waiting. This is not difficult. It asks you to watch the pan for a few minutes, which is hardly surgery, though some books manage to make it sound like that.

Serve hire-katsu the way we do it here: with finely shredded cabbage, a small dish of tonkatsu sauce, a dab of karashi, rice, and miso soup if the meal wants to be complete. The sauce is sharp and brown, but it is not a disguise. The pork should taste clean and tender under the crust, nothing hidden, and the plate should have enough space that each round keeps its crisp edge.