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Make-Ahead Pork Katsu Bento

This is a simple and revolutionary frozen pork katsu bento made with pork scraps, eliminating the hassle of deep-frying. Enjoy freshly made deliciousness anytime just by reheating in the microwave. It's economical and perfect for meal prepping.

📖Cooking Basics

miso（ramen）

Steps

In a freezer-safe container, add cooked rice, aiming for 180g to 200g per serving. Place the lid at an angle and let it cool.
🕒 00:52
Cut off the core of the 200g cabbage and slice it thinly to about 3mm width.
🕒 01:12
Place the sliced cabbage in a heatproof bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 2.5 minutes at 600W.
🕒 01:23
Rinse the heated cabbage under cold water to cool it down, then squeeze out excess water firmly by hand.
🕒 01:29
In a separate bowl, combine the squeezed cabbage with grated sesame seeds (2 tsp), miso (2 tsp), and sugar (1 tsp). Mix well, dissolving the miso.
🕒 01:36
Crack 1 egg into a bowl, beat it, and set aside half of it.
🕒 01:54
To the reserved half of the beaten egg, add potato starch (1 tsp), 1 tsp water, sugar (1 tsp), mayonnaise (1 tbsp), and salt (1/4 tsp). Mix until smooth to create the egg batter.
🕒 02:03
Beat the remaining 2 eggs and combine them with the reserved half of the beaten egg from before. Keep refrigerated until use.
🕒 02:16
In another bowl, combine half of the beaten egg with all-purpose flour (4 tbsp) and 3 tbsp water. Mix until no lumps remain to create the batter.
🕒 02:27
Season the 300g pork scraps by massaging in cooking sake (1 tbsp), all-purpose flour (1 tsp), salt (a pinch), and pepper (a pinch). [Key Tip!] Seasoning at this stage ensures tender results even after freezing.
🕒 02:38
Tear the seasoned pork scraps into 15 equal pieces and flatten them into round shapes. [Key Tip!] Tearing and shaping makes them resemble individual cutlets.
🕒 02:53
Dip the shaped pork scraps into the batter, then coat them evenly with panko breadcrumbs.
🕒 03:06
Heat oil in a frying pan to a depth of 5mm to 1cm over medium heat.
🕒 03:23
Once the oil is hot, carefully place the panko-coated pork in the pan. Fry one side for 2.5 to 3 minutes until golden brown, then flip.
🕒 03:36
Continue frying for a total of 5 to 6 minutes until both sides are evenly browned. Remove from oil and drain.
🕒 04:00
Whisk the egg mixture that was set aside in the refrigerator, then cook to make the rolled omelet.
🕒 04:25
Let the cooked rolled omelet cool.
🕒 04:53
Cut the cooled rolled omelet into 10 pieces.
🕒 05:04
Arrange the rolled omelet pieces and the miso cabbage on top of the cooled rice.
🕒 05:10
Place a sheet of nori seaweed cut to fit the remaining space. [Key Tip!] Placing nori between the rice and katsu prevents the rice from becoming oily and enhances the flavor.
🕒 05:22
Arrange 3 pieces of pork katsu on top.
🕒 05:41
Close the lid and freeze. Consume within 3 weeks for best quality.
🕒 05:59
To serve, place the lid at an angle or cover with plastic wrap and heat in the microwave at 600W for 4.5 to 5 minutes.
🕒 06:04