Episode 13 of Isekai Izakaya Nobu introduces us to one of Japan’s most-beloved fried snacks called menchikatsu. With the exception of tempura, fried food isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when hearing “Japanese food,” but make no mistake – it’s a large part of Japanese cuisine!
Menchikatsu is basically a thick patty of ground meat and onions, crisply fried and seasoned with Worcestershire sauce. Think of a breaded, crispy, and ridiculously juicy hamburger patty. Chef Kijima transforms this fried delicacy into a proper meatloaf. Instead of possibly effortful frying, he bakes the menchikatsu loaf, keeping the breading just as crispy but making the Japanese dish even easier to cook at home! This is one of those recipes that despite being wonderful, casual Japanese, you won’t have any issues getting your hands on the ingredients!

This savory snack, often enjoyed as street food or alongside a nice drink in a pub, belongs to Japan’s Western-style cuisine. The word menchi comes from the English “mince” while katsu comes from “cutlet.” You’ll often find menchikatsu as a street food in charming shopping streets, or as a favorite dish to go with a cold drink in a pub. One of the best things about the Japanese patty is that you can use whichever ground meat you like!

Salt and pepper is the choice seasoning of the meat patty itself, but after being fried (or baked, in our case), Japanese gourmets like to add a drop of Worcestershire sauce to round the flavor. While Chef Kijima stays true to this saucy approach, menchikatsu is also often enjoyed with karashi (Japanese mustard), regular mustard, and even ketchup can work! Anything that matches that heavenly balance between crunchy crust and juicy, savory meat on the inside...Hungry yet? Let’s fire up the oven, then!

Yield
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients
・200g ground meat of your choice
A
・3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
・1 egg
・a pinch of salt
・a pinch of pepper
B
・half a cup of breadcrumbs
・1 tablespoon of salad oil
・1 tablespoon of water
Sides & Seasoning
・1/8 of a cabbage
・lemon
・Tonkatsu sauce (*1)

Preparation
1. Put the ground meat in a bowl and mix well. Add all A ingredients and mix again. Then, divide the meat into two same-sized portions.
2. Mix together the B ingredients for the breading.
3. Spread out some aluminum foil and cover it with the salad oil. Now place the meat on top of it and spread it to a thickness of 1cm (.4 in).
4. Now spread the breading you made in step 2 over the meat and gently press it down.
5. Fold the edges of the aluminum foil upward to the oil does not run down and bake the loaves for 10 minutes. (*2)
6. Shred the cabbage while the meatloaf is baking.
7. Serve your menchikatsu meatloaf on a plate, add the shredded cabbage as a side, garnish with lemon, and add as much Worcestershire sauce as you like! Itadakimasu!

*1) While Chef Kijima uses tonkatsu sauce, you can safely replace it with your favorite brand of Worcestershire sauce if you cannot get your hands on tonkatsu sauce.
*2) Chef Kijima uses a toaster oven. If you don’t have one of those, use an oven and place the aluminum foil on the grate. A Japanese toaster oven usually has a heat of 200 to 250°C (about 400 to 480°F).

With these quick and easy recipes, you can bring both the taste and atmosphere of Izakaya Nobu to your own kitchen. Whether you enjoy this traditional dish all by yourself or treat friends and family to a healthy, yummy meal, don’t forget to savor it alongside a nice drink!

©蝉川夏哉・宝島社/古都アイテーリア市参事会