How to make a bento box

Clean, trim and pound out pork on a clean cutting board, taking care to avoid cross contamination. (Optional: Marinate in fresh grated ginger and sake overnight in a plastic bag.)

Trimmed Fat

On separate plates, arrange flour, egg wash, and panko (with seasoning.)

Now that most of the prep is out of the way, we can start the rice. Wash rice with cold water and simmer on stove with a 1-2 ration of rice to water until water evaporates and rice is cooked.

Coat pork cutlets in flour

Then dip in egg wash

Coat cutlet in panko bread crumbs

Repeat steps 5-7 until all of pork cutlets are coated generously.

Keep an eye on the rice while coating the cutlets in panko. You should end up with this.

Collect cooked white rice, umeboshi, rice seasoning and rice ball molds if desired.

To make rice balls first wet your hands with salty water. Fill 1/2 of rice mold with rice. Then, add pitted umeboshi into center and press more rice on top, completing the mold.

Prepare to deep fry your pork cutlets. Use a deep saucepan and fill it with an inch of vegetable oil. Heat on medium heat or until oil is 300 degrees. Drop cutlets into oil away from your body!

Cook until bottom is golden brown. Flip and repeat.

Remove from oil after internal temperature of pork reaches 165 degrees.

To finish up, slice your tamago into thin strips and slice your carrots into slivers. Carefully lay pork cutlet into bento box. Fill your bento box with your fruit, vegetables, rice balls and mochi.