Coconut Tonkatsu Bento Box
with radishes / cucumber salad

Name: Coconut Tonkatsu Bento Box
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 Pork chops, boneless; 3/4 cup Almond flour; 2 Eggs, whisked; 1 1/2 cups Coconut, shredded and unsweetened; 3 Tbsp Oil, cooking; 5 Tbsp Tomato paste; 1 Tbsp Bragg's / coconut aminos; 1 Tbsp Fish sauce; 2 tsp Honey; 1 1/2 tsp Ginger, fresh, grated; 2 Tbsp Vinegar, rice; 2 Tbsp Bragg's / coconut aminos; 1 tsp Honey; 1 Tbsp Oil, cooking; 1/2 tsp Sesame seeds, white; 6 oz Cucumbers, diced; 1 heart Lettuce, romaine, chopped (sub butterhead lettuce); 6 Radishes, sliced

Active: 60 Total: 60

Original GF Paleo Vegetarian

This crispy pork is a delicious treat from Japan. Along with vegetables, and a sweet and savory sauce, it makes for a fun, bento-style experience.
Smarts #1: Don’t forget to season the pork well with salt and pepper before coating it in breading. That’s the only stage where it will be seasoned.
Smarts #2: We wanted to fill the bento box with plenty of delicious options, but don't hesitate to skip one or more components if you prefer to simplify the meal.

Proteins

Pork, non-ground

Cuisines

Asian - Japanese

Ingredients

Metric

Servings:

Coconut Tonkatsu:

Pork chops, boneless - 4
Almond flour - 3/4 cup
Eggs - 2 , whisked
Coconut, shredded and unsweetened - 1 1/2 cups
Oil, cooking - 3 Tbsp

Tonkatsu Sauce:

Tomato paste - 5 Tbsp
Bragg's / coconut aminos - 1 Tbsp
Fish sauce - 1 Tbsp
Honey - 2 tsp

Cucumber Salad:

Ginger, fresh - 1 1/2 tsp , grated
Vinegar, rice - 2 Tbsp
Bragg's / coconut aminos - 2 Tbsp
Honey - 1 tsp
Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
Sesame seeds, white - 1/2 tsp
Cucumbers - 6 oz , diced
Lettuce, romaine - 1 heart , chopped (sub butterhead lettuce)

Radishes:

Radishes - 6 , sliced

Prep

Make sauce - Whisk together tomato paste, aminos (portion for sauce), fish sauce, and honey (portion for sauce). (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Make dressing - Grate ginger. Whisk together ginger, vinegar, aminos (portion for salad), and honey (portion for salad). Add oil (portion for salad) while whisking. Stir in sesame seeds. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Pork chops - Slice in half to thin (skip if the pork chops are already quite thin). Place plastic wrap or parchment over pork and pound with a tenderizer until pork chops are an even ¾” / 1.9 cm thick. Season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
Cucumbers / Lettuce / Radishes - Prep as directed.
Prep breading stations - Set out three shallow bowls. Place almond flour in one, whisk eggs in the second, and place coconut in the third.

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Make

Heat a skillet or frying pan with oil (for pork) over low-medium heat (be sure to maintain a very low temperature in the pan to prevent the coconut crust from burning).
Working with one piece of pork at a time, dredge pork in almond flour, shaking off excess. Dip pork in whisked egg to coat and then press firmly into shredded coconut to coat all sides. Sear pork on both sides until coconut is golden brown and pork is cooked through (145F / 63C in the center), 6 to 12 minutes total. Do this in batches until all of the pork is cooked, adding more oil if the pan looks dry.
Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest.
Toss cucumbers and lettuce in dressing.
Slice pork and serve with sauce for drizzling over top. Enjoy salad and radishes on the side (we kept them separate to maintain that bento box feel, but if you prefer, you can toss the radishes right into the salad).

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