The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

Donkatsu Rice Bowl, Katsudon Recipe.

First, take some lean cuts of pork, like loin or tenderloin, and wash out the blood. Then, finely chop the meat evenly to tenderize it.

Next, soak the thoroughly chopped pork in milk for about 30 minutes in a cool place away from sunlight to remove any unpleasant odor.

After that, rinse off the milk from the pork, season it with salt and pepper, and coat it in flour, then egg wash, and finally breadcrumbs in that order.

Pour enough oil into a wok to submerge the breaded pork, and control the heat to medium, about 160 to 170 degrees, frying the donkatsu until it’s crispy and golden brown.

While preparing the donkatsu, you’ll also want to work on the sauce.

There are many sauces that pair well with donkatsu, but for katsudon, the sauce you’ll want to make is a Japanese seasoning soy sauce called tsuyu.

Although the spotlight is always on the meat in dishes like katsudon or steak, the sauce is just as important.

If the meat provides the main flavor, the sauce is the finishing touch.

Just as there’s no properly concluded story these days, there also isn’t a properly done dish without a well-prepared sauce.

In a separate pot from the one used for frying the donkatsu, fill with enough water to create the sauce and use dried katsuobushi to extract umami.

I didn’t have katsuobushi, but I had some dried kelp I picked up during my last trip to Leila, so I used that as a substitute.

Kelp might not give off the same aroma as katsuobushi, but at least it could somewhat replace the umami.

When using dried kelp, make sure to start heating the water gradually, as high temperatures from the beginning can cause cloudy liquid to seep out, so remove it as soon as it boils.

Then, in the sufficiently steeped broth, I add soy sauce, sugar, and cooking sake to make a simple version of tsuyu, which is a type of Japanese seasoning sauce.

Not using katsuobushi means this version is quite simpler than traditionally made tsuyu, but you can’t always cook with the best ingredients in the best environment.

A truly great chef isn’t one who complains about lacking tools and conditions; rather, they creatively work to produce the best output amidst limited resources.

Next, I add sliced onions to the simple tsuyu sauce and slowly cook on low heat.

Don’t overcook it; wait until the onions are about to wilt but not mushy.

When the timing is right, quickly slice the donkatsu into bite-sized pieces and arrange them attractively on top.

For the tip: don’t pour the sauce over the donkatsu; place the donkatsu gently on top of the sauce. That’s the point.

Then drizzle partially beaten eggs around the donkatsu, waiting until they’re somewhat cooked over low heat.

Now we’re almost there.

While the pork was marinating, I had made fluffy white rice, which I generously put into each person’s bowl. Then, I placed the prepared tsuyu and donkatsu on top and finished it off with finely chopped green onions.

Katsudon is complete.

Coming out of the detention center and finally cooking something decent, I let out a quiet sigh as I looked at the finished dish.

Although my thoughts were scattered about what to do to rescue Daria and Aila now that I was out, I hoped my companions would feel a bit of strength from this meal.

The reason I chose katsudon among many other dishes was for that exact reason.

As the name suggests, katsudon originated from Japan, where there’s a unique cultural significance tied to it.

Just as in South Korea, where people avoid seaweed soup before important exams and eat sweets like rice cakes, in Japan, the pronunciation of “katsu” in katsudon sounds like “katsu” (勝つ), meaning “to win,” making it a popular dish before crucial matches.

Initially, this superstition arose from a mere pun on “to win,” but over time, it expanded to include not just competitions with clear winners and losers but also ambiguous scenarios like exams or meetings. Subsequently, the meaning broadened to include “success” or “luck in overcoming important situations.”

While the superstition tied to katsudon is just based on wordplay, it gives emotional comfort, which may hold its own significance.

Moreover, given that katsudon consists of meat, fried batter, and grains, it provides not only a stimulating flavor but also substantial calories, making it quite beneficial for keeping the brain active during significant moments. Given this, the act of eating katsudon can’t be dismissed as a mere whimsical superstition.

Even with deep thoughts, one still needs to eat.

No matter how profound the worries, if there’s no action, it’s meaningless.

And if one wants to act but hasn’t eaten, there won’t be any energy to do so.

A filling meal might not instantly solve problems, but it’s better than trying to resolve issues on an empty stomach.

With that in mind, I took the complete katsudon outside the kitchen.

Stepping out, their expressions still remained grim.

“…Thank you. I’ll eat well.”

“…I will gratefully enjoy it.”

“Um… Thank you…”

Even receiving bowls full of katsudon, they still struggled to regain their spirits, merely responding with the formalities of enjoying their meal.

It felt like they showed no interest in the dish I made, making me think that if I were an ordinary chef, I would feel discouraged and wonder, “Can even katsudon lift their spirits?”

However, as I extended the steaming bowl of katsudon, I didn’t miss the slight shift in their expressions.

Although it was just a faint reaction, it didn’t wash away the worries on their faces, but that alone eased my heart a bit.

It wouldn’t take long.

In the meantime, everyone began their meals.

Crunch.

Even from a distance, the crispy frying sounds were relatively clear.

That was the sound of Mari biting into a piece of donkatsu on top of her katsudon.

Since katsudon is eaten as a rice bowl with donkatsu and tsuyu sauce, you might think the fried coating would get soggy, but that’s only half true.

Sure, the donkatsu soaking up the tsuyu sauce does result in some dampness, but that only applies to the lower part.

Since the donkatsu isn’t placed in the sauce but instead on top, the frying remains crisp even when combined with the tsuyu sauce.

Munch munch.

Next, Mari took a spoonful of the glistening brown rice, also soaked in tsuyu.

The white rice infused with tsuyu had a depth of flavor that plain rice simply lacked.

Though I didn’t use katsuobushi, the rich umami extracted from the kelp balanced out the possibly sharp taste of the soy sauce, providing a deeper richness.

Adding some sugar for sweetness transformed the originally sharp flavor and aroma into a smooth bittersweetness.

And the egg, half-mixed with both yolk and white, proves that it’s not just a simple soy sauce egg rice dish made by a poor student.

The rice, upon absorbing the tsuyu sauce, combined with the crispy upper part and equally soaked batter below, and the tender, subtly flavored meat tucked inside.

Soy sauce egg rice and donkatsu.

Both are delicious on their own, but the true value of a rice bowl is only fully realized when the rice and toppings are eaten together.

Munch munch.

Crunch.

Before long, Mari swallowed a piece of meat and a bite of rice. She moved her spoon towards another piece of donkatsu and some white rice.

It looked strikingly different from her earlier pessimistic demeanor; she seemed quite eager to eat.

Thinking back, she hadn’t had a delicious meal during our days in the detention center.

Though she had done her best to cook something tasty with limited ingredients, what she served was mostly bland fare.

The greasy flavor of donkatsu, plunging into her stomach, was an irresistible stimulus that could stir even the deepest of gloom.

Suddenly, looking around, I saw that not just Mari but the others had also seemingly regained their appetites.

Though some still pretended to be disinterested, trying to maintain their gloomy expressions while quickly moving their spoons, it was like watching a comedy unfold.

They all looked utterly miserable yet desperately resisted the urge to scrape their bowls clean, slowly finishing their meals.

Alright then.

Now that they seemed a bit revived, it’s time to think about how to rescue the two.

It seemed that the meal had lightened not just their spirits; I too felt my heart lighten.

Right. What’s there to overthink?

If worse comes to worst, I’ll just storm into the prison and snatch them away.

Breaking into the Holy Kingdom’s prison isn’t easy, even for someone like me, but isn’t it better than feeling lost about the next steps?

Just as I thought to clear away the empty bowls.

Chime chime.

A woman with shiny black hair stepped into the inn as the bell rang, looking our way.

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