Rafute (Okinawan Braised Pork Belly) ラフテー

Rafute (ラフテー) is a traditional braised pork belly recipe from Okinawa, Japan. This juicy and tender dish is slow-cooked in awamori (Okinawan distilled liquor), Okinawan black sugar, and soy sauce. It‘s a savory and sweet classic that simply melts in your mouth.

When you are in Okinawa, you have to try this braised pork dish called Rafute (ラフテー). We tried Rafute in different restaurants during our 5-day trip in Okinawa, and noticed that each place made their own variation. Despite its “fatty” look, this braised pork belly dish is surprisingly light as all the fat is rendered from long hours of cooking. It is so tender, it falls apart when trying to eat it with chopsticks. Rafute really is a must-try dish to experience on a trip to Okinawa!

What’s Rafute?

Rafute is a pork belly dish slowly simmered in sweet and savory sauce, with an origin from a famous Chinese dish called Dong Po Rou (东坡肉/東坡肉), Chinese braised pork belly. Rafute has been eaten in Okinawa since the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429–1879) when it was served as a form of Okinawan Royal Cuisine. 

Rafute consists of the three most signature produce/products in Okinawa: pork, black sugar, and awamori (distilled liquor).

The slow cooking process yields the most tender and melt-in-your-mouth texture. While simmering, the fat renders and the pork belly soaks up all the delicious flavors. The skin and fat of the pork belly become gelatinous and even chopsticks can break down the meat easily. You don’t have to worry about the meat being greasy at all.

Differences Between Rafute and Kakuni

If you’re familiar with the classic Japanese braised pork belly called Kakuni, you may wonder what makes Rafute different from Kakuni.

Well, these two dishes are pretty similar in appearance, as both are influenced by Chinese braised pork belly. While studying how to make Rafute, I noticed a few things that are different in the cooking process from a typical Kakuni recipe.

1. Use pork belly with skin on top

Typically, Japanese grocery stores sell pork belly without skin, so I had to go to an Asian grocery store to make this specific pork belly with skin. Each piece is much bigger, so I asked them to cut it into 2 lbs. You want to pick a leaner piece that comes with some meat but not too fatty. Ideally, it should have even layers of fat and meat.

2. Pre-boiling with just water

Just like Kakuni recipe, pork belly needs to be cooked on low simmer for 1-2 hours. During this time, Kakuni is almost always cooked with ginger and green onion. However, for Rafute, the majority of recipes use only water. You could add ginger and green onions, but I found it not necessary. The use of awamori was good enough to cook off the pungent meat flavor.

3. Use Awamori instead of Sake

If you have no access to awamori, the Okinawan distilled liquor (shochu), you can use sake instead. But I highly recommend using awamori for an authentic version. I think awamori and black sugar makes Rafute different from Kakuni, giving a complex sweetness to the pork.

4. Use “Black Sugar”

Traditional Rafute is made with Okinawa black sugar Kokuto (黒糖). As I couldn’t find Okinawa black sugar in Japanese grocery stores here or on Amazon, I researched other alternatives for “black sugar” online and found out Muscovado sugar is a good choice (read more about this sugar here). Muscovado sugar is a type of partially refined to unrefined sugar with a strong molasses content and flavor.

I tried making Rafute with both granulated sugar (white sugar) and dark brown sugar to see the difference. Mr. JOC and I found that Rafute made with black sugar tastes far better than granulated sugar – more umami and complex flavors, and slightly better than dark brown sugar.

Since I used Muscovado sugar to make other Okinawan recipes including Sata Andagi (Okinawan Donuts) and Okinawa Soba, I encourage you to try finding this cane sugar to make these three Okinawan recipes.

Substitute Tips to Make Rafute

Skin-on Pork Belly: You can use skin-on or skin-off pork belly depending on availability. You can use other cuts of the meat, but I believe it won’t come out as good as pork belly.

Awamori: If your local Japanese grocery stores do not carry it, then use sake or vodka. I still recommend using awamori.

Black Sugar: Unless you’re in Okinawa or Japan, it’s hard to get Okinawan black sugar. Muscavado sugar is the best substitute for this dish. Major grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Whole Foods or your local co-ops should carry Muscovado sugar. You can also buy it online on Amazon or other specialty stores. The sugar is also excellent in many other savory dishes like pulled pork, barbecue sauces, and marinades, so it would be a good buy.

Soy Sauce: Use regular Japanese soy sauce. I often get questions if I use dark or light soy sauce. In Japan, we don’t have dark or light soy sauce as Chinese cuisine does. We do have dark-colored soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu, mostly used in the Tokyo area) and light-colored soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu, mostly used in the Osaka area) but the texture is both thin and almost the same. You can read a little bit more about Japanese soy sauce here.

Also, I added soy sauce at 3 different times. The first time with the rest of the seasoning ingredients, the second time after 1 hour of cooking, and the third and last time after 30 minutes. We do this for two reasons. First, we prevent the pork from getting darker in color. Basically, you don’t cook pork with 5 Tbsp of soy sauce for 1.5 hours. Second, sugar is absorbed into the meat well before soy sauce or salt is added. If your flavor gets salty, it’s hard to undo by adding sugar. Therefore, it’s best to add salty condiments later on.

The long-simmering aside, Rafute is a fairly simple dish to make. The robust flavor makes it an iconic dish in Okinawa. You can enjoy it as an izakaya-style dish with some icy cold beer or as a savory dish to go along with fluffy steamed rice or noodles.

Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.

Rafute

4.86 from 27 votes

Rafute (ラフテー) is a traditional braised pork belly recipe from Okinawa, Japan. This juicy and tender dish is slow-cooked in awamori (Okinawan distilled liquor), Okinawan black sugar, and soy sauce. It‘s a savory and sweet classic that simply melts in your mouth.

Print Pin

Video

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 3 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 lb pork belly block (boneless, skin on)
• ▢ 4 cups water
• ▢ 2 cups katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (packed)
• ▢ 1 cup awamori (Okinawan distilled liquor) (you can substitute it with sake or vodka)
• ▢ ½ cup black sugar (packed; you can purchase Okinawan black sugar on Amazon; I used dark muscovado sugar)
• ▢ ⅓ cup soy sauce (5 Tbsp, divided)
• ▢ 1 knob ginger (1 inch, 2.5 cm)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Gather all the ingredients.
  
• Place 2 lb pork belly block in a large pot, skin side up. Add just enough water to cover the pork and bring it to a boil.
  
• Boil for 1 minute and discard the water.
  
• Rinse off the scum and foam from the pork belly under cold water. Quickly rinse the pot, put the pork belly back in the pot, and fill it with cold water.
  
• Bring the pot to a boil once again, and skim off the scum and foam. Then, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for at least 1–1½ hours. Leave the pot uncovered to release the unwanted odor. If the water has evaporated and the pork belly is not covered with water, add some boiling water. Keep skimming as needed.
  
• Meanwhile, boil 4 cups water in a small pot. Once boiling, add 2 cups katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).
  
• Let it simmer for 15 seconds. Turn off the heat and let the katsuobushi steep in the pot. Set aside. We’ll be using this katsuo dashi shortly.
  
• Slice 1 knob ginger and cut into julienne strips. Soak them in water for 10–15 minutes to remove some of the spiciness. Drain well and set aside for garnish.
  
• After 1–1½ hours of cooking the pork belly, transfer the pork to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep it from drying out. Set it aside until it‘s cool enough to handle. Tip: You can reserve the pork broth for Okinawa Soba, Champon, or soup (strain and freeze it).
  
• Once the meat is cool enough to handle, slice the meat 2–3 cm (¾–1⅕ inches) thick. Add the pork belly slices to a heavy-bottomed pot (I used Le Creuset).
  
• Strain the katsuo dashi into the pot.
  
• In the pot, add 1 cup awamori (Okinawan distilled liquor), ½ cup black sugar, and 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Please read the blog post about why we don‘t add the entire ⅓ cup soy sauce at once.
  
• Mix the liquid and make sure the pork belly is covered with the sauce. Bring it to a gentle simmer and skim off any scum and foam. Place an otoshibuta (drop lid) and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Read my post about otoshibuta and learn how to make your own drop lid.
  
• After 1 hour, add another 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and cook for 30 minutes.
  
• After 30 minutes, add the remaining 1 Tbsp soy sauce. Cook until the pork is very tender and the skin/fat are glossy and gelatinous, roughly 15 minutes. Serve the pork belly on a plate/bowl and pour some braising liquid on top. Garnish with the ginger slices. Enjoy Rafute with steamed rice and some vegetables. You can also serve on Okinawa Soba.
  

To Store

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for a month.

Nutrition

Calories: 884 kcal · Carbohydrates: 6 g · Protein: 16 g · Fat: 84 g · Saturated Fat: 31 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 9 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 39 g · Cholesterol: 114 mg · Sodium: 414 mg · Potassium: 314 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 3 g · Vitamin A: 16 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 42 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: awamori, black sugar, braised pork belly, okinawan food, pork belly

©JustOneCookbook.com Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any website or social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

Did you make this recipe?If you made this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #justonecookbook! We love to see your creations on Instagram @justonecookbook!