The Only Store-Bought Tonkatsu Sauce You Need, According To A Chef

Tonkatsu sauce drizzled over a crispy panko-coated cutlet is a classic combination. But once you've lovingly bread-crumbed and shallow-fried your pork or chicken, which store-bought tonkatsu sauce will best do it justice? We spoke to expert Lucy Seligman, restaurant critic, food historian, and writer, to find out which brand of this tangy, savory condiment gets her vote of confidence. "To be perfectly honest, I love Bull-Dog Tonkatsu Sauce!" explains Seligman, who is also the owner of Lucy's Kitchen cooking school. She adds that the sauce provides "the perfect balanced blend of savory and sweet" and noted that "it's great on any Japanese fried meat dish." 

At its most basic, a homemade tonkatsu sauce is a mix of sweet, salty, and tangy elements, such as ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sweet fermented rice mirin, and mustard that are stirred together in different ratios to create a balanced taste. However, Bull-Dog's Tonkatsu Sauce, which is available to purchase on Amazon, is richer and extra savory because it contains yeast extract. This ingredient is rich in glutamic acid, which imbues the sauce with a satisfying umami quality and deep characterful flavor. 

The sweetness in the recipe is due to the inclusion of prune paste, corn syrup, and apple puree, while the counteracting tang comes from distilled vinegar and tomato paste. Though it may sound unusual for prunes to feature in a condiment poured over fried or seared meats, other popular of brands of store-bought barbecue or steak sauce also include fruit in their recipes. For example, A1 steak sauce contains raisins and HP sauce contains dates.

Though it's described as Japanese cutlet sauce on the bottle, don't feel limited to pouring your Bull-Dog Tonkatsu only over crispy-coated foods. In fact, it's ideal for smearing over broiled salmon or grilled tofu, using as a dipping sauce for fries and tempura, or even pairing with vegan-friendly seitan. Feel free to experiment and use it like a sticky, sweet barbecue sauce by mixing it through pulled pork or dolloping it onto a flame-grilled burger. Unlike some varieties of tonkatsu sauce that contain oyster sauce, Bull-Dog's recipe doesn't contain any animal-derived products, making it suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets. Keen to try your hand at making your own version of this tangy condiment? 

This five-ingredient recipe for tonkatsu sauce (which uses brown sugar instead of the corn syrup found in store-bought varieties) is a great place to start. If you find that your homemade mixture is too sweet, add a spritz of lemon to your tonkatsu sauce to bring balance. The citrus cuts through the richness of a sauce that's verging on cloying, counteracts the sweetness of sugary ingredients, and gives it a bright lift. For more tonkatsu tips, Lucy Seligman's cookbooks "The Wonderful World of Osechi: Japanese New Year's Recipes" and "Easy Japanese Recipes for the Home Cook" are available for purchase, both through Kindle and softcover on Amazon. Her eBook on how to make traditional Japanese salad dressings is also free to download.