Okinawa Shoyu Pork

Okinawa Shoyu Pork

tender, sweet Japanese style pork

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 10m
Cook Time: 1h 50m
Total Time: 2h
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
4.9 (18 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

Nutritional Information

331
Calories
15.6g
Fat
27g
Carbohydrates
15.4g
Protein
41mg
Cholesterol
2071mg
Sodium
Okinawa Shoyu Pork

Recipe Description

This recipe for Okinawa Shoyu Pork produces the sweetest and most tender pork belly you could imagine. While I’m not a vegetarian, I rarely cook meat at home. But sometimes, I get a craving for Asian style meat dishes and I just have to make some!

Because I don’t cook meat dishes very often, when I do, I want to make sure that I use very special recipes. This Okinawa Shoyu Pork is exactly that – special! In this recipe, I draw on my Asian roots to create a tender and tasty pork dish. The pork belly in this recipe turns out really tender and the sugar, soy sauce and mirin based sauce it cooks in is just the right mix of sweet and salty. You should be able to find all of ingredients listed here at an Asian supermarket, or in the Asian foods section of larger supermarkets. If my local butcher doesn’t have pork belly, I substitute it with pork loin and it turns out just as good!

To make Okinawa Shoyu Pork, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Okinawa Shoyu Pork

Recipe Features

No specific features for this recipe

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Put the pork belly in a pot

    1 min
    Step 1 - Okinawa Shoyu Pork

    Place the pork belly into a large pot like a Dutch oven, and cover it with about 1-inch of water.

  2. 2

    Boil

    10 min
    Step 2 - Okinawa Shoyu Pork

    Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for about 2 minutes and then discard the water.

  3. 3

    Add fresh water

    1 min
    Step 3 - Okinawa Shoyu Pork

    Add new water to the pot, again covering the pork with about 1-inch of water.

  4. 4

    Cook the pork

    1h
    Step 4 - Okinawa Shoyu Pork

    Bring to a boil again over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and allow the pork to simmer for about an hour until the meat has softened.

  5. 5

    Cool the pork and remove skin

    10 min
    Step 5 - Okinawa Shoyu Pork

    Take the pork belly out of the water and place it on a large chopping board. When it has cooled slightly, slice off the skin and throw it away.

  6. 6

    Slice the meat

    1 min
    Step 6 - Okinawa Shoyu Pork

    Cut the pork belly into slices around 1-inch wide and set the meat to one side.

  7. 7

    Make the sauce

    2 min
    Step 7 - Okinawa Shoyu Pork

    Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, 1/2 cup water, mirin, ginger, and garlic together in a separate pot, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.

  8. 8

    Add the pork belly

    5 min
    Step 8 - Okinawa Shoyu Pork

    Add the sliced pork meat to the sauce and bring it to the boil again.

  9. 9

    Cover with foil

    1 min
    Step 9 - Okinawa Shoyu Pork

    Turn the heat down to low. Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on top of the meat and sauce.

  10. 10

    Simmer

    30 min
    Step 10 - Okinawa Shoyu Pork

    Simmer for 30-45 minutes until the meat is tender. Turn the pork occasionally when cooking to ensure it cooks evenly.

  11. 11

    Serve

    5 min
    Step 11 - Okinawa Shoyu Pork

    This pork is great served with rice and steamed Asian vegetables.

This Okinawa Shoyu Pork is a perfect recipe to satisfy my rare meat cravings. The result is a sweet yet slightly salty Asian style pork dish. I love it and I’m sure you will too! Make sure you come back to leave a review here if you make it.

About the author

Bethany Lim

Bethany is very passionate about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and clean diet. She’s trying to cut meat out of her diet as much as possible and focuses on cooking vegetarian food and fish. Bethany gets a kick from finding ways to add new twists to classic dishes. What’s more, thanks to her Asian roots, she’s great at combining different cuisines to come up with something extraordinary. Bethany’s recipes will inspire you to add new colors and flavors to your everyday meals.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
4.9 out of 5 (18 reviews)
Emily Johnson
February 8, 2025
Verified

Delicious!

Hannah
December 2, 2024
Verified

This Okinawa Shoyu Pork was simply amazing! I made it for friends and they loved it! So easy to follow.

Iris
April 29, 2024
Verified

This Okinawa Shoyu Pork is amazing. I made it for my husband’s birthday, and he loved it. The sweetness of the sauce really brings out the flavor of the pork. I will definitely make this again soon!

QuickCookerQ
April 23, 2024
Verified

Great and sweet.

Quinn Baker
October 14, 2023
Verified

I made the Okinawa Shoyu Pork for a family dinner, and oh my, it was a hit! The pork belly was so tender and the balance of sweet and salty was just perfect. My kids were licking their plates! It’s a special recipe I’ll keep for sure. Even my husband who isn’t a big meat-eater loved it.

Frank
August 16, 2023
Verified

Delicious!

Brad
March 28, 2023
Verified

Mate, this Okinawa pork dish is lush! So sweet and tender, I love it.

Jules
March 23, 2023
Verified

Tried this Okinawa Shoyu Pork and it was just wow. Cooked it for my wife’s birthday and she loved it. Simple and delish.

Ximena Garcia
May 21, 2022
Verified

Delicioso! Preparé esto para una cena familiar y todos pidieron más.

Hannah
July 12, 2021
Verified

Delicious! Made it for family dinner and everyone loved it. It was so tender and sweet, reminded me of my grandma's cooking.

Nina
May 18, 2021
Verified

Incredible!

Vivian
April 1, 2021
Verified

Simply delicious dish

Susan Thompson
May 15, 2020
Verified

Delicious! I made this Okinawa Shoyu Pork for my husband’s birthday dinner, and it stole the show. The mix of flavors took me back to my childhood visits to my grandmother's house. So glad I found this recipe.

Penny
January 25, 2020
Verified

Absolutely delicious meal!

Oliver
January 22, 2020
Verified

Hice este cerdo y me recordo de mi abuela. Sencillo de hacer y super delicioso. Definitivamente lo haré otra vez.

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