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1
Thread each ingredient onto individual bamboo skewers — single pieces or two small pieces per skewer. Pork belly, shrimp, lotus root, shiitake, asparagus, naganegi, and quail eggs each occupy their own skewer type. The skewer is ready when the ingredient is firmly seated and will not rotate freely on the stick.
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2
Set up a three-stage breading line: flour in one shallow tray, beaten egg in a second, and panko in a third. Dust each skewer in flour, shaking off all excess; pass through egg, allowing the surplus to drip away; press firmly into panko, rolling to coat every surface. The finished skewer should show an even, dry, coarse crumb with no bare patches visible.
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3
This is where the dish lives or dies: heat the frying oil to 185°C and hold it there. Add no more than three or four skewers at a time — overcrowding drops the temperature below 175°C, at which point the panko absorbs oil rather than setting into a crust. Fry each batch for 90–120 seconds, turning once. The crust is ready when it is a uniform pale amber-gold and audibly crisp when tapped with a skewer tip.
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4
Lift each skewer onto a wire rack — never paper alone — and allow excess oil to drain for 30 seconds. The crust should remain rigid and dry to the eye; any visible sheen of pooling oil indicates the frying temperature was insufficient.
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5
Pour the tonkatsu sauce into a communal container placed at the centre of the table or bar. Each diner dips the skewer once only — the no-double-dipping rule is absolute: if more sauce is required, cut the skewer to expose the interior and dip the cut face, or ladle additional sauce. Serve immediately with cold beer.