Japanese Tonkatsu Rice, Made with Monk Fruit Sweetener

Method

1. Rinse the pork leg, pound it thin and tender, then season with 1 teaspoon seasoning powder and a little black pepper for 5 minutes.
2. Dredge the pork in all purpose flour, dip it in the beaten egg, dredge it in flour a second time, dip it in egg again and finally coat it in panko breadcrumbs. Rest it in the fridge for 20 minutes.
3. Rinse the cabbage, shred it finely and soak it in ice water to crisp up.
4. Make the sauce: mix 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon black vinegar, 4 teaspoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1 teaspoon tapioca starch slaked with water. Set a pan over the heat with 1 teaspoon cooking oil, pour in the sauce and stir until it thickens.
5. Pour in enough oil to cover the pork and fry for 5 minutes until evenly golden, then lift out and drain.
6. Cut the pork into strips, spoon the sauce over, scatter with black sesame and serve with hot rice and the shredded cabbage.

Tips

• Twenty minutes in the fridge helps the coating cling so it does not lift off in the oil.
• Black vinegar can be swapped for rice vinegar with a splash of soy sauce for color.
• Pound the pork to an even thickness and 5 minutes of frying cooks it through.
• Soak the shredded cabbage in ice water for a few minutes, then shake it dry for crunch.
• Take the sauce off the heat the moment it thickens, since longer cooking makes the starch clump and the sauce gluey.