A Vegetarian Take on Emeril Lagasse’s Pork Tonkatsu, Emeril’s Kicked Up Sandwiches for #SundaySupper

How about a head start on a spectacular 2013? An Emeril Lagasse inspired #SundaySupper is on Twitter on December 30th at 7p.m. ET. Participants will have the chance to win one of two Emeril Lagasse cookbooks.

In addition to the Ninja Baker’s vegetarian take on Emeril’s Pork Tonkatsu recipe, a slew of sweet and savory variations from the beloved New Orleans chef will be on the buffet table of discussion. For the complete list of items from culinary experts and food bloggers, please scroll down.

The Ninja Baker's vegetarian Portobello mushroom
take on Emeril's Kicked Up Sandwiches' Pork Tonkatsu recipe.

Do you have comfort foods that hurtle you back to childhood memories? When my parents went out to cocktail parties hosted by the American Embassy or other ex-pat foreigners, I ordered fried pork cutlets (tonkatsu) with fried eggs and onions atop a bowl of rice from our local mom-and-pop Japanese restaurant. My order along with my nanny’s soba always arrived in a timely manner via motorcycle. (To this day, I still wonder how the cellophane contained dishes never seemed to have spilled soup or scattered grains of rice.) The combination of grease from the eggs, pork and onions atop mountains of rice was the perfect dish to dig into in front of the TV.

As a ‘tween in Tokyo in the early ‘70s, I noticed that pork tonkatsu sandwiches started to appear in snack shops. My mouth watered every time. But I ignored them because I wanted to stay slim for modeling jobs. The pay was a tad higher than the allowance from my parents =)

While I’m still calorie conscious, my rules have relaxed. So, I was thrilled to see and try Emeril Lagasse’s recipe for Pork Tonkatsu in his new Kicked Up Sandwiches cookbook. (Pages 36-37 in my Nook version.) Thanks to my husband, I’m also a bit more health conscious these days so I decided to do a vegetarian take on my childhood comfort food. Instead of pork I used seitan strips (a wheat-based protein available at health food stores) and Portobello mushrooms. The seitan was a bit grainier and closer to a pork texture. Still both the wheat protein and the Portobello came pretty darn close to the real stuff. Sure to please people looking for a vegetarian alternative to pork. And the combination of protein covered in slightly greasy panko breadcrumbs, topped with mayonnaise and Worcestershire-like tonkatsu sauce on a bun may prove to be your new favorite comfort food, too. 

Seitan, wheat protein, is a wonderful substitute for the pork in
Emeril Lagasse's Kicked Up Sandwiches tonkatsu recipe

Ninja Baker Notes:
Tonkatsu sauce tastes very similar to Worcestershire.
The lovely marriage of sweet with a slight tang of vinegar found in Japanese mayonnaise works well in this sandwich.

Now, please see more notes on extraordinary takes on Emeril Lagasse recipes from the following talented food bloggers.

• Champagne Punch by girlichef
• Champagne Punch by Daily Dish Recipes
• Champagne Punch by Midlife Roadtrip
• Champagne Punch by Family Foodie 
• Chi Chi Cocktails by The Messy Baker Blog

• Spiced Nuts by The Cookie A Day Challenge
• Spiced Nuts by Small Wallet Big Appetite
• Prosciutto Breadsticks & Spiced Nuts by Galactosemia in PDX
• Spiced Nuts by Home Cooking Memories
• Spiced Nuts by Mama.Mommy.Mom

• Sopressata and Genoa Salami Calzones by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Paul’s Make the Whole Crew Happy Sausage Meatballs with Red Gravy by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Three Cheese Veggie Sandwich by Supper for a Steal
• Three Cheese Veggie Sandwich by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Columbia Street Grinder by The Foodie Army Wife
• Paul’s Make the Whole Crew Happy Sausage Meatballs with Red Gravy by The Meltaways
• Emeril’s Columbia Street Grinder Kicked Up a Notch New Orleans Style by The Catholic Foodie
• Columbia Street Grinder by The Weekend Gourmet
• Three-Cheese Veggie Sandwich by Diabetic Foodie
• Eggplant Muffuletta by Mom’s Test Kitchen
• Three Cheese Veggie Sandwich by In the Kitchen with Audrey
• Columbia Street Grinder by She likes ruffles, he likes truffles 
• Three Cheese Veggie Sandwich by From Fast Food to Fresh Food
• Columbia Street Grinder by Momma’s Meals 
• Paul’s Make the Whole Crew Happy Sausage Meatballs with Red Gravy by Craving’s of a Lunatic
• A Vegetarian Take on Emeril’s Kicked Up Sandwiches Tonkatsu Sandwich by Ninja Baking
• New Orleans Style Garlic BBQ Shrimp by Comfy Cuisine

• New Orleans-Style Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce by Magnolia Days
• New Orleans-Style Bread Pudding with 2 Sauces by Juanita’s Cocina
• Angel Cake Sandwiches by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze by Damn Delicious

* The bloggers with royal blue posts will be giving away a copy of one of either Serious Sandwich Cookbook or Potluck Cookbook during the #SundaySupper Twitter chat on December 30th at 7p.m. ET. Hope to see you there!

Wishing you all the comforts, confidence and tools needed to build a bright 2013.

The Ninja Baker