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Okinawan Shoyu Pork

Okinawan Shoyu Pork is the local Hawaii version of Okinawan dish called Rafute. It's basically braised pork belly! This dish is saucy, sweet (thanks to mirin and brown sugar) and savory (hello, soy sauce), and really good with a big bowl of rice.
4.46 from 84 votes
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Course: Hawaii Recipes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 3
Author: Kathy YL Chan

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pork belly cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1- inch knob of ginger minced
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup sake
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon mirin

Instructions

Stovetop / Regular Pot Instructions:

  • In a pot, over medium-high heat, brown the pork belly on all sides. This should take about 5-minutes.
  • Add the garlic and ginger to the pot. Mix and saute for another minute till the garlic and ginger is fragrant. Then add the water, soy sauce, sake, brown sugar, and mirin.
  • Bring everything to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1.5 hours (give it a stir every 20 minutes). The pork is ready when it is tender and easily pierced with a fork. 
  • Remove the lid, and turn the heat to medium-high. Let the sauce bubble away and reduce until it becomes thick and glaze-y. Pour it out into a bowl, and serve hot, with rice. Enjoy ^_^

Instant Pot Instructions:

  • Press the “saute” button on the Instant Pot. Add a little oil, followed by the pork belly. Brown the pork belly on all sides. This should take about 5 minutes.
  • Remove the browned pork belly to a plate and set aside.
  • Add more oil to the Instant Pot and add the ginger and garlic. Saute until fragrant and golden.
  • Then add the water, soy sauce, sake, brown sugar, and mirin. Use a wooden spoon to deglaze / scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
    Note: This step is important. If you have browned bits left on the bottom of the pot, the Instant Pot will display a “burn” message and stop cooking.
  • Press the “cancel” button to stop the sautéing.
  • Then add the pork belly back into the pot. Give it a stir so that everything is evenly mixed. Put the lid back on.
  • Cook on “high pressure” for 30 minutes. Then do a "natural pressure release" for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the lid, and press the “cancel” button. Then press the “saute” button. Leave the lid off and let the sauce bubble away and reduce until it becomes thick and glaze-y. Stir frequently to prevent sticking / burning.
  • Pour the pork out into a bowl, and serve hot, with rice. Enjoy!