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1
Dredge each pork cutlet in flour, shaking off the excess. Pass through beaten egg, then press firmly into panko on both sides. Deep-fry in neutral oil at 170–180 °C until the crust is a deep, even amber and the cutlet floats freely in the oil. Lift onto a rack; the crust should be rigid and audibly crisp when tapped.
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2
Cut each fried cutlet crosswise into four or five strips, keeping the pieces together so the cutlet holds its shape for the bowl.
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3
Work one portion at a time in a small shallow oyako nabe or lidded sauté pan. Combine 3 tbsp dashi, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, and ½ tsp sugar. Add the sliced onion and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the onion is soft and translucent and the broth is fragrant and strongly seasoned.
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4
Lay one sliced cutlet into the simmering broth. Simmer for 1–2 minutes only — no longer. The cutlet should be heated through and glazed with broth but not yet softened to sogginess; the panko crust will have absorbed the liquid at its surface while the interior remains structured.
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5
Beat two eggs per portion with chopsticks: strike through the yolks but stop before the white and yolk are fully combined — loose, uneven streaks are correct. Pour the egg in a slow circle around and over the cutlet into the simmering broth. Cover immediately with the lid, leaving a small steam vent at one edge. Remove from heat the moment the egg is barely set at the edges but still molten and trembling at the centre — it must not be fully cooked. This is where the dish lives or dies: a fully set egg means the texture that defines katsudon is lost and cannot be recovered.
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6
Mound hot rice into a deep donburi bowl. Slide the cutlet-and-egg assembly as a single piece directly from the pan over the rice, pouring any remaining broth over the top so that it runs down into the rice. Serve without delay — residual heat will continue setting the egg.