The katsu sando is a popular Japanese sandwich known for its simple ingredients, technique, and on-the-go appeal. This crustless wonder usually features white Japanese milk bread called shokupan, panko-breaded meat cutlets, thinly sliced cabbage, and an umami-packed tonkatsu sauce. The shokupan isn't easy to find, so a thick-cut texas toast worked great for me. But you could also try baking milk bread yourself too.

I still had a couple of ruffed grouse in the freezer from a fall trip last year, so I opted to feature them in this recipe. You could easily sub in wild boar, turkey, duck, or any upland bird. If you go the upland route, be sure togive the meat a quick brine. These birds work hard, so a simple salt bath does wonders for tenderizing the meat.

Similarly, marinating the cabbage for a bit helps to break it down so it's not as firm—perfect for a sandwich slaw. And don’t skip the tonkatsu sauce. It’s my favorite part of this dish and consists of ingredients that are mostly pantry staples.

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1. Brine the grouse for two hours in a solution of four cups of water to ¼ cup of kosher salt. After two hours, remove the breasts, rinse, and pat dry.
2. Shred and marinate the cabbage in lemon juice and rice wine vinegar. I like to keep the red and green cabbage separate before plating to preserve the integrity of the colors. Using just one or the other would be fine too.
3. To make the tonkatsu, whisk all of the ingredients together. Set aside.
4. Pound the grouse breast to around ½-inch thick and form the cutlets to the shape of the bread to help with plating. (You don't want meat hanging over the edges of the bread.)
5. Set up the dredging station with three bowls. Whisk eggs with hot sauce or gochujang, season the flour with salt and pepper, and separate one cup of panko breadcrumbs. Take the pounded grouse and coat it with the flour. Then dip in the egg wash, allowing any excess egg to drip off. Finish with the panko breadcrumbs. Let the breaded grouse sit for 10 minutes before frying so the breading sets.
6. Get a pot or cast iron ready with frying oil. Bring the oil to 340ºF. Fry the grouse for 3 to 4 minutes or until light golden brown and cooked through.
7. To serve, brush the bottom and top piece of bread with dijon mayo. Coat the grouse with the tonkatsu sauce by brushing or lightly tossing in the sauce. Add the grouse cutlets to the bread. Now add the cabbage slaw. Lightly press the sando together and then lay a weight, such as a plate, on top for a minute or so to help it set. Carefully slice the crust from the bread with a bread knife or serrated knife. Then cut the sando with as little pressure as possible and serve with extra sauce.