Wagyu Katsu Sandwich

Wagyu Katsu Sandwich is the English name for a dish called Gyukatsusando (牛カツサンド) in Japanese. Gyu means “beef” in Japanese, katsu is the Japanese abbreviation of “cutlet,” and sando is the Japanese abbreviation for “sandwich.” As its name implies, it’s a sandwich made with a deep-fried beef cutlet.

It’s a simple dish, but high-grade Japanese beef makes it unique, commanding ridiculous restaurant prices. Unlike its Western counterparts, Wagyu (和牛), or “Japanese beef,” has a ton of intramuscular marbling with low melting point fat. This makes the meat melt-in-your-mouth like butter.

When fried and stuffed between fluffy Japanese bread, you get a katsu sando that’s soft and fluffy on the outside, crisp on the inside, and melt-in-your-mouth tender in the center.

Wagyu Katsu Sandwich
Why My Recipe Works
What are the Ingredients for a Wayu Sandwich?
How to make a Wagyu Sandwich
Other Japanese Sandwiches
📖 Recipe
Comments

Why My Recipe Works

Whether you’re making a roast beef or steak sandwich, meat is usually sliced before being added to a sandwich. That’s because connective tissues in the meat make it difficult to bite cleanly through it. Japanese A5 Wagyu sirloin is so tender that this problem disappears, which makes it possible to stuff the whole crispy cutlet into the sandwich.
To get the katsu crisp and golden brown on the outside and rare in the center. I start with steaks that come right out of the refrigerator. Then, they’re fried at 375 degrees F, which is significantly hotter than usual. This quickly browns the breading while warming the center through enough to start melting the fat, but not so much that it cooks it through, leaving this Wagyu Katsu Sandwich rare and juicy in the center.
Premium Wagyu from Japan has a large amount of intramuscular fat, which is what makes it so delicious. However, it can be pretty rich, which is why my homemade katsu sauce for this wagyu katsu sandwich is tangy and spicy, to help balance things out.

Marbled A5 grade wagyu beef is the key to the texture of this sandwich. Crisp on the outside, and melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside, this Wagyu Katsu Sandwich is a decadent splurge that ou can make at home. - 2

What are the Ingredients for a Wayu Sandwich?

Like most Japanese dishes, there aren’t many components, but the quality of each ingredient is what makes or breaks this sandwich.

Bread

Shokupan - Also known as “Japanese milk bread” outside of Japan, Shokupan is a light and fluffy sandwich bread with a springy texture that turns dense and chewy (in a good way) as you bite into it. This not only provides a contrast to the crisp cutlet but is also durable enough not to fall apart as you eat the sandwich. This texture is essential to the success of this Wagyu Katsu Sandwich. Outside of Japan, it’s sold in many Asian bakeries, but if you can’t find it, any moist sandwich bread with some structure like Pain de Mie will work.

Sauce

Sake - Sake is a brewed beverage made from rice, and it contains a high concentration of amino acids that stimulate umami taste receptors on your tongue. This gives foods containing sake the savory taste of umami. Since it’s boiled, the alcohol and delicate aromas are burned off. This is why I recommend using a relatively inexpensive sake. The one exception is that you should never cook with anything labeled “cooking sake” because these are typically loaded with salt, preservatives, and “flavor enhancers,” which can throw off the seasoning in recipes.
Black Pepper - Black pepper and beef are a match made in heaven, and I like to load my katsu sauce with coarse ground pepper for this sandwich.
Onion Powder and Onion Powder - The two aromatics I add to my sauce for flavor. You can grate fresh onions and garlic as well, but I prefer using the powder as it keeps the sauce from getting chunky.
Worcestershire Sauce - This is the base for the sauce and provides the tartness and blend of spices that give it the taste of katsu sauce. I use an ordinary bottle of Lea & Perrins. I don’t recommend using Japanese Worcestershire sauce as they tend to be much saltier than the British kind.
Ketchup - This is where the sauce gets its sweet fruity flavor from, and it also gives it some body.
Honey - Added for sweetness and thickness. Use mild honey that doesn’t have a strong flavor.
Whole Grain Mustard - The mustard isn’t spicy in the hot sense, but it does add the pleasant spicy taste of mustard, and the seeds give the sauce a beautiful texture. I use the French brand Maille.
Oyster Sauce - The oyster sauce adds salt and umami to the sauce. I use the Thai brand MegaChef. An alternative would be soy sauce, but oyster sauce is sweet and less salty than soy sauce, so you’ll want to reduce the amount if you use soy sauce.

Beef Katsu

A5 Wagyu - This is the most important ingredient to get right. I used an A5 grade Wagyu Sirloin from Japan. It has no sinew or gristle and is pink when viewed from a distance because of the fine intramuscular marbling of fat. Wagyu is not a breed of cattle and simply means “Japanese Beef”. Beef produced in other countries but marketed as “Wagyu” is almost always crossbred with non-Japanese cattle, and due to the way they are raised, they do not have the same taste or texture as Japanese beef. If you need teeth to bite through it, it’s probably not a good choice for this sandwich. One possible alternative is to pound a dry-aged filet mignon out so it’s ¾ of an inch thick and about the size of your sandwich bread. It won’t have the same flavor, but it should be tender enough.
Salt and Pepper - The sauce is more tangy and sweet than savory, so it’s important to season the beef generously before breading it.
Flour and Egg - When breading Japanese katsu, the flour, and egg act as a glue that helps the panko stick to the cutlet.
Panko - Panko means “powdered bread” in Japanese and is a coarse breadcrumb made from the white part of sandwich bread. If you’re spending the money for authentic Wagyu, making fresh panko bread crumbs is worth the small amount of time it takes.

How to make a Wagyu Sandwich

Make the sauce

For the homemade katsu sauce, boil the sake, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small pot. This burns off the alcohol while drawing out the flavor of the spices and aromatics into the liquid. You can tell it’s ready when the bubbles start getting big and shiny.

Pot of Katsu Sauce for Wagyu Katsu Sandwich. - 5

Next, add the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, honey, mustard, and oyster sauce to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil again. Do not overcook the sauce; otherwise, the vinegar in the Worcestershire sauce and ketchup will evaporate, leaving the sauce tasting flat.

A5 Grade Wagyu Sirloin in a stainless steel tray. - 6

Make the Wagyu Katsu

For the Katsu, I like starting with cold beef straight out of the fridge. It will warm up a bit while you’re working with it, and I like the beef to be as cold as possible so that it stays rare as I fry it.

Wagyu steaks coated in flour before being breaded with panko. - 7

Sprinkle both sides of the steaks with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Then, dust every surface with an even coating of flour. The breadcrumbs will not stick to any spots you’ve missed, and if the flour is too thick, it will buckle up and flake off after you fry it, so it’s important to be thorough and then pat off any excess flour.

Next, you want to coat the steaks in an even layer of egg. Again, be sure you don’t miss any spots.

Breading a Wagyu Katsu in panko bread crumbs for making a Katsu Sandwich. - 9

Finally, these get dropped into the panko breadcrumbs and gently rolled around to coat every surface. You can pile the panko on top and pat it down lightly to encourage the panko to stick, but you don’t want to crush the crumbs. Handle the cutlet carefully once it’s coated, or the panko will come off.

Deep frying Wagyu Katsu in a pot of oil. - 10

To fry the Wagyu Katsu, heat a few inches of oil to 375 degrees F (190 C). This is hotter than usual, but it’s how we get the outside nice and brown while maintaining a rare interior. Depending on the thickness and temperature of the beef, it will take anywhere from a minute to a minute and a half to get a cutlet that’s rare in the center. You can fry it for longer if you want it medium-rare, but I don’t recommend cooking Wagyu to well-done as most of the fat will render out, leaving you with very little meat.

Golden brown wagyu Katsu being removed from a pot of oil. - 11

When the katsu is done, transfer it to a wire rack to drain, and then immediately drizzle both sides of each cutlet with a generous amount of Katsu Sauce. It’s important to do this while the cutlets are still sizzling; otherwise, the sauce will make the crust soggy.

Wagyu Katsu drizzled with Katsu Sauce. - 12

Assemble the sandwich by toasting the bread and then putting each cutlet between two slices of the toasted bread. In Japan, they cut the crusts off, which makes the sandwich look nice, but I prefer leaving the crusts on.

Other Japanese Sandwiches

Dashimaki Tamago Sandwich (Egg Omelette)
Tonkatsu Sandwich
Karaage Sandwich
Japanese Egg Sandwich
Fruit Sandwich

📖 Recipe

Equipment

Units

Ingredients1x2x3x

Vegetable oil (for frying)
4 slices Japanese sandwich bread (thick-cut, lightly toasted)

Katsu Sauce

¼ cup sake
1 teaspoon black pepper (coarse grind)
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon oyster sauce

Wagyu Katsu

400 grams A5 Grade Wagyu Sirloin (2 steaks ¾-inch thick)
¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper (coarse grind)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg (beaten)
50 grams panko (about 1 cup)

Instructions

Fill a heavy-bottomed pot with 1 ½ inches of Vegetable oil and preheat to 375 degrees F (190 C).
To make the Katsu Sauce, add the ¼ cup sake , 1 teaspoon black pepper , 1 teaspoon onion powder , and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until the bubbles get big and shiny.
Add the ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce , 3 tablespoon ketchup , 2 tablespoon honey , 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard , and 1 tablespoon oyster sauce and let the mixture come to a boil again. Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool.
For the Wagyu Katsu, beat the 1 large egg in a bowl. Add 50 grams panko to a shallow dish.
Sprinkle both sides of the 400 grams A5 Grade Wagyu Sirloin with the ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper .
Sprinkle the steaks with the 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and dust coat every surface of the meat with a thin, even layer. Pat the meat to dust off any excess flour.
Dip the beef in the beaten egg, coating every surface.
Place the egg and flour-coated meat on a bed of panko and it with panko, patting gently to help the panko adhere to the steak.
Add the steak to the preheated oil and fry for 30 seconds on one side. Flip the cutlet over and fry until it’s golden brown (about another 30 seconds).
Transfer the fried Wagyu Katsu to a wire rack and drizzle with a generous amount of sauce. Repeat with the second cutlet.
To assemble the sandwich, place a whole Wagyu Katsu between two slices of toasted sandwich bread.
Trim off the crusts and slice the sandwich into halves or quarters.

Nutrition Facts

Wagyu literally means “Japanese Beef” in Japanese. It can be used to refer to beef that is raised in Japan, or collectively for breeds of cattle that are native to Japan, but it is not an individual breed in and of itself. It’s worth noting that most cattle raised outside of Japan and marketed as “____ Wagyu” are crossbred and have very little of the original bloodline remaining.

Wagyu from Japan is expensive because great care is taken in breeding and raising the cattle to produce tender beef that’s evenly marbled with fat. This makes the beef melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Beef from Japan is graded on a scale that measures yield as well as the quality of the meat. The first letter (either A, B, or C) is the yield, which indicates how much meat can be used from the carcass. The yield has to be greater than 72% to get an A grade. The number following the letter (1-5) is assigned based on the marbling, the color of the meat, the texture of the meat, and the color of the fat. The higher the number, the higher the grade; the overall score is based on the lowest score. So, for example, if a cut of beef got a score of 5 for marbling, meat color, and texture but only got a 4 for fat color, the overall score would be 4. Based on this system, the highest grade is A5, while the lowest is C1.

This is entirely subjective and depends on what you value in your beef. Just as some people prefer sapphires to diamonds, some people may prefer a leaner type of beef. Personally, I find A5 grade Wagyu from Japan to be a worthwhile splurge from time to time, but it’s not something I eat all the time.