.jpg) Beef cutlet | |
| Place of origin | Japan |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Kansai region |
| Associated cuisine | Japanese cuisine |
| Invented | Taishō era |
| Main ingredients | |
| Ingredients generally used | |
| Variations | Tonkatsu |
| Similar dishes |
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Gyūkatsu is a Japanese yoshoku (Western-style) dish consisting of sliced beef coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried in cooking oil. It is also known by names such as beef katsu, bifukatsu, and beef cutlet.
In the early Meiji era, a Western-style dish known as a "cutlet"—consisting of breaded veal pan-fried in oil—was introduced to Japan. Over time, the preparation method evolved into deep-frying (cooking in a large amount of oil), resulting in the form we recognize today.
From the Taishō era onward, the primary ingredient for cutlets in the Tokyo metropolitan area shifted from veal to pork. This shift is attributed to the demand for more affordable and accessible ingredients as Western-style cuisine became popularized among the general public, as well as the fact that pork suited the tastes of the Japanese people—particularly those in the Kanto region, where there is a strong culture of pork consumption.
In contrast, within the Kinki region—which includes Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto—beef cutlets remained the standard rather than pork. Even today, with tonkatsu (pork cutlets)—which originated in Tokyo—having become widespread throughout Japan, beef cutlets continue to be a common staple in both home cooking and dining out within the Kinki region.
Although beef cutlets had become a relatively niche dish nationwide, they experienced a surge in popularity in Tokyo around 2015[citation needed], and their recognition has since spread rapidly from the Tokyo metropolitan area to the rest of the country. This style of gyukatsu (breaded, deep-fried beef cutlet)—characterized by thick-cut, rare-cooked, and Japanese-style preparation—was conceived by "Bifukatsu Misono" (which opened in Nishi-Shinbashi in 1972 and closed in 2011) and later standardized by "Shimbashi Gyukatsu Okada" (which opened in 1996).
Similar to steak, gyukatsu can be categorized by its level of doneness—such as rare, medium, or well-done—depending on how it is fried. Furthermore, as with other meats like pork, terms such as fillet cutlet (hire-katsu) and lion cutlet (rosu-katsu) are used to denote the specific cut of beef.
In 2024, Saint Marc Holdings acquired the operating companies for "Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu" and "Gyukatsu Motomura," effectively controlling the majority of gyukatsu restaurant chains in Japan.
