Menchi katsu is minced beef or pork mixed well with onion, deep fried in a coating of breadcrumbs. The word menchi comes from the English word "mince."

Meat was generally not eaten in Japan until after the middle of the 1800s, in the Meiji period. That was when the country opened to the outside world, after a long period of seclusion stretching back to the mid-1600s. Once the doors were open, cultural attributes from Europe and North America swept in, including Western cuisine and the custom of eating meat. As the new recipes spread through the country, they evolved from their original form to become Yo-shoku, a blend of cooking styles from the West and Japan. Menchi katsu is a prime example of a Western-style dish adapted to the Japanese tastes of the time.

In 1896, Renga-tei, a Yo-shoku restaurant in the Ginza district of Tokyo, began deep-frying pork slices coated with breadcrumbs. In time, the recipe spread throughout the country under the name ton katsu. This was a quick-to-prepare variation on the recipe for pork cutlets, which in the West are coated with breadcrumbs and fried in a frying pan. Ton katsu became quite popular, and before long cooks were trying out similar recipes, deep-frying other breaded ingredients, perhaps fish or other types of meat. One of those recipes is said to have been for menchi katsu.

Renga-tei's third-generation owner, Kida Akitoshi, says, "Around that time, ground meat was made into balls and fried. They were called menchi boru, meaning 'minced balls.' Menchi katsu were associated with them, giving the name 'menchi,' and with deep-fried cutlets as well, giving the name 'katsu.'"

Menchi katsu are pressed, cooked pieces of minced meat, so they are soft and easy to eat. And because the meat is minced, it is the cheapest kind. The dish is often prepared in Japanese homes or bought from a butcher store or supermarket, where it sells as a typical side dish.

Before preparing it, the trick is to choose minced meat with a moderate amount of fat. After kneading the ingredients well, you should pound it to get the air out — that way, the pieces will not split open during deep-frying. The breadcrumbs for the coating should be moist. If you use fresh bread crumbs that have been chopped fine, the result will be lighter and softer. It is important to remove each piece from the oil before it is completely cooked, and to set them aside and let the heat from the exterior penetrate through to the center. If you do this, when you cut them with a knife they can be savored as the meat juices trickle out.

Just before eating them, Japanese people generally add a seasoning of ground mustard seeds mixed with a little water, and pour store-bought Worcester sauce on top. Some people add extra flavor with salt, lemon juice, mustard or the like. They taste best when eaten hot, very soon after deep frying.

This is a simple dish to make — only one pan is used, and the ingredients are easy to obtain. And it is relatively cheap, too. The taste is good, and once you remember how to prepare it, you will find it easy to make.