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Tonkatsu Sauce

A simmered blend of tomato, apple, onion, carrot, vinegar, soy, and warm spices becomes a smooth, thick but pourable table sauce.
A bowl of smooth reddish-brown tonkatsu sauce sits beside tomato, apple, and carrot.

This from-scratch condiment draws on the sweet, tangy, savory profile of Japanese fruit-and-vegetable Worcestershire-style sauces. Whole produce gives it body, while a final sieve removes the fibrous bits for a smooth pour.

Build flavor from whole produce

Tomatoes bring acidity and body, while apple and brown sugar round their sharp edges. Onion, carrot, garlic, and ginger deepen the base before cinnamon, allspice, clove, and mustard lend a restrained warm-spice finish.

Simmer until tender

A partly covered simmer softens the vegetables without evaporating the liquid too quickly. Uncovering near the end concentrates the mixture, so stir more often as it thickens and the sugars become easier to scorch.

Tomato, apple, onion, carrot, and spices soften together in a saucepan.
The fruit and vegetables soften together in the spiced, vinegar-rich simmering liquid.

Blend, then sieve

Blending first breaks down the tender produce, and pressing the puree through a fine sieve removes seeds and fibers that would interrupt the sauce's smooth texture. A short final simmer lets you stop at a thick but pourable consistency.

Tune the sweet-tangy balance

Taste the sauce warm, when its sweetness and acidity are easier to assess. A little of the reserved vinegar sharpens a mellow batch, while reserved sugar can soften a finish that tastes too pointed.

Glossy tonkatsu sauce coats a spoon and pours in a thick ribbon into a dish.
The finished sauce clings to a spoon yet runs in a smooth, steady stream.

Tonkatsu Sauce

12 1/4-cup servings
105 minutes total

Ingredients

  • •  2 lb ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
  • •  1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
  • •  1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • •  1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
  • •  1 cup water
  • •  1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • •  1/4 cup soy sauce
  • •  1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, divided
  • •  2 tbsp tomato paste
  • •  2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • •  1 tbsp peeled fresh ginger, finely grated
  • •  1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • •  1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • •  1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • •  1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • •  1/2 tsp ground mustard
  • •  1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Prepare the produce

    Core and chop the tomatoes, peel and chop the apple, onion, and carrot, and crush the garlic; keep the pieces small enough to soften evenly in the pot.

    Look for: The carrot slices are thin and the apple and onion pieces are close in size.

  2. Combine the sauce base

    Put the tomatoes, apple, onion, carrot, water, 7 tablespoons of the rice vinegar, soy sauce, 7 tablespoons of the brown sugar, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, mustard, and black pepper in a heavy saucepan.

    Look for: The tomato paste and spices are dispersed through the liquid rather than sitting in dry clumps.

  3. Soften the vegetables and fruit

    Set the pan over medium heat and stir until the mixture reaches a gentle simmer, then lower the heat, cover slightly ajar, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Look for: Small bubbles break gently at the edges without splattering.

  4. Reduce the base

    Remove the lid and continue simmering for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring more often as the liquid reduces so the sugars do not catch on the bottom.

    Look for: The carrot is easily crushed with a spoon and the mixture looks thick and pulpy.

  5. Cool before blending

    Take the pan off the heat and let the base cool for 10 minutes; this brief rest reduces splashing when it is blended.

    Look for: The steam has eased and the mixture is no longer bubbling.

  6. Blend until smooth

    Blend the softened mixture with an immersion blender until no large pieces remain, or work in small batches in a vented countertop blender and return the puree to the pan.

    Look for: The puree is uniformly smooth and moves in a thick ribbon from the blender head.

  7. Strain and finish the texture

    Press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, then simmer the strained sauce over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring until thick but pourable.

    Look for: The sauce coats a spoon while still flowing off it in a steady stream.

  8. Balance and chill

    Taste the warm sauce; stir in some of the reserved vinegar for a brighter finish or reserved brown sugar if it tastes too sharp, then cool completely and refrigerate in a clean jar.

    Look for: Sweetness, savoriness, and tang remain distinct but none overwhelms the others.