Instant Pot Ginger Pork Shogayaki

Japanese food stole our hearts somewhere along the way when we were still learning “My name is Amy.” or “I am 5 years old.”

Perhaps it was the tiny bite of Sushi perfection…

or the proper manners of slurping al dente Ramen from the hot comforting broth as loud as you could…

but for sure not the gooey, once-in-a-lifetime Nattō (納豆) – Japanese fermented soybeans experience…

That blew the minds of 2 food-craving children.

So, we’re more than thrilled to have worked with various Japanese restaurants.

And what we miss the most was the people.

Meeting restaurateurs and chefs who shared the same passion for food and love for business just energizes us like the Energizer bunny.

We can talk on and on about dreams, life, family, and of course food! Sometimes we’d stay at their restaurants to chat even well after midnight!

One of our first clients was a Japanese family-run Teishoku-ya 定食屋, specializes in traditional Japanese home-style set meals.

If you’re not familiar with Teishoku, they’re the whole-meal deal. I’d say somewhat like airplane meals (but taste much better) – a main dish, side dishes highlighting seasonal ingredients, miso soup and rice served on a tray.

After tasting their Shougayaki (pork ginger) 豚生姜焼き for the first time, we couldn’t resist recreating it at home, so we can eat it ALL the time! hehe~

As fancy as the name sounds, I must admit Shougayaki is nothing fancy. But it’s homey, satisfying, and simply delicious.

After experimenting with some twists & boosts for flavors, this Ginger Pork Shougayaki has became one of our favorite go-to weeknight meals.

So, we’re thrilled to share this Pressure Cooker Pork Ginger (Shougayaki 豚生姜焼き) Recipe with you inspired by our stovetop recipe! 😀

You’ll Enjoy Ginger Pork Shogayaki Because:

• Deliciously easy to make & comforting to eat!
• Pot-in-Pot means whole-meal deal done in less than an hour
• Tender & juicy pork with satisfying mouthfeel
• The richly sweet & savory homemade Ginger Garlic Sauce is addictive to eat

Ginger Pork Shogayaki are Great for:

• Easy & quick lunch or family dinner
• Make-ahead meal-prep
• Can make for entertaining guests: parties, gatherings, potlucks…
• Outings or summer picnics…

Ingredients for Ginger Pork Shogayaki

• 1 pound (454g) pork shoulder (pork butt meat)
• 1 medium (130g) onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) peanut oil
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 – 1 head romaine lettuce
• Optional Garnishment: green onions, finely chopped

Ginger Garlic Sauce

• 1 – 2 tablespoons (8g) ginger root, finely grated
• 1 clove (3g) garlic, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) Japanese soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon (7.5g) white miso paste (optional) or 1 additional tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) Japanese cooking sake
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) Mirin (Japanese sweet cooking rice wine)
• 1/4 cup (63ml) water

Pot-in-Pot Rice

• 1 cup (230g) Medium grain Calrose rice
• 1 cup (250ml) cold water

Tools for Pressure Cooker Ginger Pork Shogayaki

• Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
• Stainless Steel Steaming Rack Stand
• Stainless Steel Bowl
• Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup
• Microplane Grater

Step-by-Step Guide: Ginger Pork Shogayaki

Preparation

1 medium (130g) onion
1 – 2 tablespoons (8g) ginger root
1 clove (3g) garlic

Roughly chop the onions, finely grate the ginger root and garlic with a grater.

Step 1
Prepare Pressure Cooker

Heat up your pressure cooker (Instant Pot: press “Sauté” button and click “Adjust” button to go to Sauté More Function).

Make sure your pot is as hot as it can be (Instant Pot: wait until indicator says HOT).

Step 2
Mix Ginger Garlic Sauce

Ginger Garlic Sauce
1 – 2 tablespoons (8g) ginger root, finely grated
1 clove (3g) garlic, finely grated
1 tablespoon (15ml) Japanese soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon (7.5g) white miso paste (optional) or 1 additional tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30ml) Japanese cooking sake
2 tablespoons (30ml) Mirin (Japanese sweet cooking rice wine)
1/4 cup (63ml) water

While the pressure cooker is heating up, mix all the ginger garlic sauce ingredients together in a glass measuring cup.

Step 3
Brown Pork Shoulder Meat

1 pound (454g) pork shoulder (pork butt meat)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (15ml) peanut oil

Generously season the pork shoulder meat with kosher salt & ground black pepper.

Add 1 tbsp (15 ml) of peanut oil in the pot. Ensure to coat the oil over the whole bottom of the pot.

Add in the seasoned pork shoulder meat, then let it brown for exactly 5 minutes on each side (don’t need to keep flipping the meat).

Remove and set aside to rest for 5 minutes on a chopping board.

Step 4
Sauté Onions

1 medium (130g) onion, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Reduce heat to medium (Instant Pot: Press cancel and click on the Sauté Button).

Add in the chopped onions.

Season with a pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Sauté for roughly 1 1/2 minute until soften.

Step 5
Cut Pork Shoulder Meat

While the onions are sautéing in the pressure cooker, cut the pork shoulder meat into 0.5” thick slices.

Why Cut The Pork Shoulder in Slices?

This allows the meat to cook perfectly and reduce the cooking time by about 30 – 50 minutes, depending on the original thickness.

Step 6
Deglaze Pot

Pour a dash of Ginger Garlic Sauce and fully deglaze the pot with a wooden spoon.

Pour in the remaining Ginger Garlic Sauce.

Step 7
Pressure Cook Ginger Pork

Sliced pork shoulder meat + meat juice

Pot-in-Pot Rice
1 cup (230g) Medium grain Calrose rice
1 cup (250ml) cold water

Stainless Steel Steaming Rack Stand
Stainless Steel Bowl

Add the sliced pork shoulder meat with all the meat juice in the pressure cooker.

Add a tall rack and place a stainless steel bowl filled with 1 cup (230g) Calrose rice and 1 cup (250ml) cold water.

Close the lid and pressure cook at

• Pressure Cooking Method: High Pressure for 6 minutes, then 10 minutes Natural Release.

Open the lid carefully.

Fluff rice and set aside.

Step 8
Serve Ginger Pork Shogayaki

1/2 – 1 head romaine lettuce
Optional: finely chopped green onions

*Pro Tip 1: You can wash & cut the romaine lettuce & green onions while the pork is pressure cooking.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with more soy sauce if necessary.

Serve the Ginger Pork Shogayaki over Calrose rice with the chopped romaine lettuce.

Garnish with finely chopped green onions.

*Pro Tip 2: be sure to pour the remaining Ginger Garlic Sauce onto the dish as a final flavor boost!

Cooking Tips for Ginger Pork Shogayaki

 1. Which Type of Japanese Rice to Use?

Medium grain Calrose rice is adequate for this Japanese Ginger Pork Shogayaki Rice Bowl. Save the premium grade short grain Japanese rice for nigiri sushi (unless that’s your favorite go-to rice)! ?

2. Can I Rinse the Rice?

We did not rinse the rice as we experimented with this Pot-in-Pot Recipe to be exact with the rice-to-water ratio. If you rinse the rice before cooking, please use a scale to ensure the rice-to-water ratio is accurate.

More Japanese Recipes

Pot-in-Pot: Pressure Cooker Teriyaki Chicken and RicePressure Cooker Katsu Curry (Japanese Curry with Tonkatsu)