Katsu Sando, the Japanese sandwich that we need in our lives
There are bites that make you dream, that promise rise to the top of gastronomic heaven , that which you caress with your fingers -and the palate-, when you try something that is really worth it. And they are not few, because you can just fantasize about the head of a Dénia red prawn , than with a spoonful of your mother's stew. But, friends, there are dishes of those that remain in your memory through the annals of time. As is the case with the wagyu katsu-sando that you will taste in Japan.
In Spain we are a lot of eat between bread . The squid sandwiches, the bacon sandwiches, the cuttlefish sandwiches with mayonnaise, the brascada, the goat ... And therefore, we are from sandwiches , which we adopt from other cultures and devour like eager gourmands. from a classic mixed ham and cheese , up to a cuban sandwich , going through a tasty pastrami sandwich . But today we are going to talk about one that comes from a faraway place, from a country that fascinates us and enthralls whoever steps on it. We talk about Japan and his famous katsu sando , one of the most famous recipes from the land of the rising sun.
Katsu Sando by SakaMai
WHAT IS A KATSU SANDO?
It is a sandwich that is generally prepared with panko breaded pork chop and is accompanied by tonkatsu sauce , a dressing very similar to Worcestershire sauce (Perrins type).
But what does this sandwich do in Japan? They say that its origins go back to late 19th and early 20th century and that comes from the yōshoku cuisine , a term that defines the 'japanization' of western recipes . It can remind us of the Italian milanesa or cotoletta or, taking a closer example, to the empanada meat that your mother prepared for you . Its popularity is so great that it is sold in any store in the country, from large supermarkets to 7/11, Family Mart or Lawson that you will find at every step and in every corner.
Now, like everything else, this already attractive bite can take us to heaven itself. How? With a variant , as delicious as it is tasty, substituting pork for one of Japan's most valued products, wagyu beef.
Katsu Sando at Kura Sushi, Los Angeles
But wait, breading a meat that is already sensational? What about betting on the purity of the product? Sometimes, going out of the way a little and experimenting has a reward. That's exactly what you thought Kentaro Nakahara , creator of this heavenly bite. But who is this chef and how did he come up with possibly the most expensive sandwich in history?
Kentaro Nakahara , is the genius behind the stove Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara , one of the best restaurants in Tokyo. Self-taught, this chef specialized in the wagyu beef and became a whole japanese barbecue master , also known as yakiniku.
From his little corner of the world, he has attracted diners from far and wide and often travels to other countries to demonstrate his mastery. What he does there is sublime and incomparable. Take care of every last detail of everything that serves, from the wagyu beef you use, where it comes from, how you cut it and most importantly, how to cook it. To go to his yakiniku is to attend a master class in which to try a thousand and one cuts of wagyu . Of course, without stereotypes, because his barbecue is not like the others.
What has made you different? The quality. “I generally select specimens of female wagyu , since its meat is much juicier. They also have infiltrated fat , but it is much more friendly”, he told us when we visited him. And it is that the fat of male wagyu can be heavy. How many times have you tried it and couldn't eat more?
Katsu sando at Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara (Tokyo)
Their omakase menu makes a journey through different parts of the meat, from a raw sirloin (the restaurant has a special license to serve it raw ), until little pieces of heaven , as he himself describes them, which are small cuts that caress the embers and raise their flavor even more. But there are two dishes that have made it famous: one is its maboroshi gyutan , or 'legendary tongue', with which he presents three different cuts (one from the tip, another from the bottom and one from the base) that will make even the most skeptical fall in love; the second, his sandwich katsu sando of wagyu , with which he usually ends his tasting menu. Who said dessert having this delight?
“Think about the ebi prawn sushi . Usually it happens without pain or glory, because its raw taste is not very relevant . On the other hand, when you prepare it in a tempura, its flavor is magnified. I thought the same with him. wagyu katsu sando . To the sirloin cut the same thing happens to him, that simply cooked, it has no great interest. However, when you coat it in panko and fry it , all the umami is concentrated and it improves the flavor and juiciness”, she points out. And so, he was the first to create a snack straight from the sky, a sandwich that he prepares with two slices of toasted sliced bread, which he accompanies with tomato sauce and pairs with a dark Czech beer and a lager type. The result? Stratospheric and pure hedonistic pleasure in one bite . It is not surprising that soon dozens of imitators came out.
KATSU SANDO'S FAME CROSSES BORDERS
For example in Wagyu Mafia , with restaurants in Tokyo and Hong Kong and favorite of celebrities like david beckham -in addition to handsome, stylish and sporty, a joy- or Guy Ritchie , they also have a place solely dedicated to wagyu katsu sando.
In Wagyumafia The Cutlet Sandwich , opened in 2017, are dedicated solely and exclusively to serving this sandwich , with different cuts, from loin to sirloin, passing through the emblem of the house, the kobe chateaubriand sando , a cut that, sandwiched between bread, costs a whopping 190 euros . Would we pay it? A day is a day. But if you stop to think about it, the Nakahara's full menu , in which about 20 types of cuts are tasted and the sandwich, costs about 220 euros in total.
Are we facing a new gastronomic trend? In just a few years, this sandwich has crossed borders and reached all parts of the globe. One of the first to emulate it, was Daniel Son, from the legendary Kura Sushi in Los Angeles , which precisely shortly, will open a casual venue dedicated exclusively to katsu sando.
Also in Uchu, SakaMai or Hi-Collar, in New York . Setting sights on closer places, for example, David Munoz , reversed this katsu sando in DiverXO , using red tuna belly , putting it inside a toasted butter brioche and accompanying it with Japanese barbecue sauce, botarga and Alba white truffle. Pure gourmand.
Will it become popular in our country? We do not know. What we do know for sure is that once you try it, nothing will ever be the same.
Katsu Sando by DiverXO