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Rafute

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Rafute is a traditional Okinawan dish that is absolutely delicious! It is a slow-cooked pork belly dish that is marinated in a flavorful blend of soy sauce, sugar, and awamori (a type of Okinawan rice liquor). The pork belly becomes incredibly tender and melt-in-your-mouth, with a sweet and savory flavor that is simply irresistible. Rafute is often served with steamed rice and sprinkled with green onions for a delightful balance of flavors.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Japanese
Calories: 717

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 pounds pork belly skin-on
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
  • 1/4 cup sake (Japanese rice wine)
  • 1/4 cup awamori (Okinawan rice liquor)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 thumb-sized ginger grated
  • 2 green onions sliced (for garnish)

Method
 

  1. Start by preparing the pork belly. If it's not already sliced, cut it into 1-inch thick pieces. You can also remove the skin if you prefer.
  2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring water to a boil. Add the pork belly and let it simmer for about 5 minutes to remove excess fat. Drain and rinse the pork belly with cold water.
  3. In the same pot, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, sake, awamori, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.
  4. Add the pork belly to the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for about 2 hours, occasionally turning the pork pieces.
  5. After 2 hours, remove the cover and continue simmering for another 30 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and coat the pork belly.
  6. Once the sauce has thickened and the pork belly is tender, remove it from the pot. You can optionally broil the pork belly in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up the skin, but this step is optional.
  7. Slice the pork belly into smaller pieces and place them on a serving platter. Drizzle some of the remaining sauce over the pork.
  8. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve the Rafute hot with steamed rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 717kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 13gFat: 60gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 1273mgPotassium: 298mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 51IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg

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