Loin — Tonkatsu · 60

Cook Loin as Roasting to 80° at the centre. Plate as Tonkatsu. Angle 2: check thickness before the clock. The long muscle running along the back, barely worked and therefore very lean. Nearly every breaded cutlet in the world comes from here — schnitzel, tonkatsu, milanesa — because a lean, even muscle is exactly what a coating needs to protect.

A thin, even fat cap along one edge keeps the muscle from drying; a fully trimmed loin cooks noticeably tougher. Modern pork is safe at 63°C with a three-minute rest. The habit of cooking it grey comes from a parasite risk that no longer exists in farmed pork. Centre-cut loin should show a pale pink eye and a modest fat cap; excess purge means poor handling.

Cook Loin as Tonkatsu to 80° at the centre. Thick grain needs more time. A cut’s grain comes from how much the muscle worked. Loin needs heat through to 80° before “Tonkatsu” makes sense. 80 is a stage of that heat, not a luxury score. The same cut becomes a stew, a grill, or a braise, so a steak minute does not cover a pot. Thick connective tissue wants time, not a hard sear alone. This is not medical advice.