Local-Style Shoyu Pork
Sunday Ohana Suppers
The heavy Dutch oven sits on the back burner. A cup of dark shoyu pours in. Two-inch blocks of pork shoulder slowly surrender. Born on the sugar plantations, this descendant of royal Okinawan rafute traded imported liquors and delicate pork belly for affordable sake, dark brown sugar, and hearty pork butt. The trick to the texture is letting it rest in the fridge overnight so you can cleanly lift off the fat cap the next day. Skimming the fat leaves behind a cleaner, more concentrated sauce. Scoop a heavy ladle of the meat over hot white rice, and leave the pot on the stove for seconds.
Before you start
Plan for an overnight chill.
While you can eat this immediately after cooking by meticulously skimming the hot liquid fat, the true local method requires cooking it the day before. The overnight rest allows flavors to penetrate the meat and makes fat removal completely effortless.
Ingredients
- boneless pork butt3 1/2 lb
- neutral cooking oil1 tbsp
- Aloha soy sauce1 cup
- water or low-sodium chicken broth1 cup
- sake1/2 cup
- dark brown sugar1 cup
- garlic cloves5 large
- fresh ginger knob1 small
Method
- 01
Sear the pork to build the flavor foundation.
Heat the neutral oil in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, sear the pork cubes until deeply browned on at least two sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate.
- 02
Build the braising liquid.
Return all the browned pork and any resting juices to the pot. Add the smashed garlic and ginger, then pour in the soy sauce, water, sake, and brown sugar, giving it a gentle stir to ensure the sugar begins to dissolve.
- 03
Boil briefly to cook off the alcohol and skim the impurities.
Bring the pot to a vigorous boil uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spoon to skim and discard any gray foam that floats to the surface.
- 04
Simmer low and slow to melt the collagen.
Immediately drop the heat to the lowest possible setting, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and maintain a lazy, gentle simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Stir the pot every 45 minutes. A violent boil will seize the meat and dry it out; you want a gentle coaxing until a fork slides into the pork with zero resistance.
- 05
Execute the grandma secret by resting and skimming.
Turn off the heat, let the pot cool to room temperature, and place the covered pot in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, lift off and discard the solid white disk of fat, then gently reheat the pot over medium-low. The flavor will be exponentially deeper, and the sauce perfectly unctuous without being greasy. Serve hot over a massive scoop of short-grain white rice.
Notes
The Mainland Shoyu Hack.
Hawaiian Aloha Shoyu is sweeter and milder than naturally brewed Japanese brands. If you only have Kikkoman, use 3/4 cup Kikkoman mixed with 1/4 cup water and 1 extra tablespoon of sugar to perfectly mimic the authentic local flavor without overwhelming the dish with salt.
Alcohol-Free Adaptation.
If sake is unavailable or restricted, replace it entirely with an equal volume of low-sodium chicken broth and add a splash of rice vinegar (about 1 tablespoon) at the very end of cooking to replace the subtle acidity and complexity.
Slow Cooker Friendly.
Brown the meat in a skillet first, then transfer all ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours. Because the slow cooker retains all moisture, the sauce will be thin. Remove the cooked meat and reduce the liquid in a saucepan on the stove before serving.
From Cook Hawaiian in America.