Japanese-Style Crispy Pork - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb thin-cut boneless pork chops or 1 lb pork cutlet, trimmed
kosher salt
2 tablespoons rice wine, sake or 2 tablespoons sherry wine
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
2 medium cucumbers
1/2 - 1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
3 large eggs
2 cups panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3/4 cup cornstarch
peanut oil, for frying
1/4 cup Tonkatsu sauce (a sweet-spicy Japanese dipping sauce, see above to make your own)

Preparation

Season the pork with salt. Mix the rice wine and 1 teaspoon ginger and spread on the pork. Stack the pork and set aside.
Peel, quarter and seed the cucumbers; cut into 4-inch spears. Toss with the sugar and vinegar. Toast the pepper flakes with 1 tablespoon salt in a skillet over medium heat, about 4 minutes; set aside.
Beat the eggs with 1/2 cup water in a shallow bowl. Put the panko and cornstarch in 2 separate shallow bowls. Dredge each piece of pork in cornstarch, dip in egg, then coat with panko. Heat 1/4 inch of peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pork in batches until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.
Sprinkle the cucumbers with some of the spiced salt. Mix the tonkatsu sauce and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon ginger in a bowl. Serve the pork with the cucumbers and sauce.