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.
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Rafute
Video
Ingredients
- 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)
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.
[…] Okinawa World – おきなわワールド (recipe – Rafute) […]
Hi Nami,
I glad you had a wonderful vacation with your family.
I like to know if I can use “焚黑糖“ (Black sugar, Takikokuto) substitute for black sugar to make Refute. I only found this in nearby Japanese market.
Thank you,
Wendy
Hi Wendy! Thanks so much for your kind words. Yes, you can use this sugar. It’s a combination of Okinawan black sugar and one more type of sugar (according to Japanese website). Hope you enjoy this recipe!
This is a great recipe, I tried it several times, love it. Thank you.
Thank you so much Wendy! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
I really like this recipe. Is there anyway to cook more faster?
Hi June! Thank you! Hmm you can use a pressure cooker from Step 11 to make this recipe.
[…] https://www.justonecookbook.com/rafute/ […]
[…] they were all delicious in this noodle soup. The way the pork belly is cooked is very similar to Rafute. If you plan to cook Rafute, you can make extra and use that as a topping for your Okinawa […]
[…] I make pork broth from Rafute or Okinawa Soba, I try to make Champon the next day using the leftover pork broth. It really gives […]
Hi Nami where can I buy the drop lid?
Hi Wendy! Here is the link: https://www.mtckitchen.com/adjustable-stainless-steel-drop-lid/ ($19)
I’ve been looking for it on Amazon but no luck for many years… In Japan it costs about $7-9…. but the price is higher at MTC Kitchen.
Hope that helps!
We just cooked this and your miso yaki onigiri last night. Both were amazing! I accidentally used both sake and awamori, but it same out fine anyhow.
For those in San Francisco, Nijiya market has the awamori. I’m not sure about the black sugar since I already had some in my pantry. Also, for skin-on pork belly, I highly recommend the Fatted Calf in SF who can cut some special for you.
Hi Bret! I saw your picture of the dishes! Wow, everything looks AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for trying these recipes. Excellent!!
also thanks for sharing your shopping tip with us! I go to Nijiya in San Mateo so I’m thankful for store info in SF!
I remember I had this dish in the aquarium in okinawa. I’m not a pork person, when I saw the fat, I didn’t want to take a bite. But I did since I was really hungry, then I couldn’t stop. It’s so good. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I’ll definitely try it. Just curious, where did you get the pork belly? I live in the bay area, but I don’t see the grocery store carry pork belly like that. Thanks!
Hi Lilian! Me too, I’m not a big fan of pork belly with HUGE fat like this. But this past Okinawa trip actually changed my mind… Just like you, I had tried it with the skin and fat with pork belly there and it was so tender and delicious. Surprisingly it wasn’t as fat at all.
I got this pork belly with rind at Chinese market (Marina in San Mateo). Japanese grocery stores don’t carry pork belly with rind, or this huge size. I asked the butcher to cut in half of what they have (square), which is roughly 2 lb (slightly over 2 lb). 🙂
thx Nami-san for the recipe! This is my favorite Japanese dish. I’ve tried making it before to various success (I used a pressure cooker and it seemed ok)
Hi q10! You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy making my version! 🙂
This looks like a computer generated spam post to me.
Hi Angelo! Umm.. could you let me know what do you mean by that?
I was responding to another comment that was advertising some health web site. It has been removed by the looks of things.
Hi Angelo! OHHHHHH!!! Now I get it!!! Thanks so much for watching out for me! We scan spam comments in the comment section and I didn’t know that you kindly responded to that spammer for me. 🙂
No problems, hate those spammers, they ruin it for everyone else.
I use your recipes all the time and for that I’m eternally grateful, but can you please, please, please put the measurements in grams and millilitres as well. It does my head in trying to figure out what a cup is. Here in Japan its 200ml, australia 250ml and I think you use 240ml in the US. Plus Okinawan black sugar comes in giant crystals so trying to measure 1/2 cup is difficult.
Aside from my whinge, your recipes are fantastic, don’t know what I’d do without them.
Hi Angelo! Thanks for bringing to my attention. I don’t know why but I completely forgot to add the metric measurement for black sugar and didn’t transfer from my note. As you see in my recipe, I do write both grams/ml AND cups/Tbsp/tsp in all my recent recipes (maybe for the past 2-3 years?). I understand that they are important for my readers.
I mentioned all my measurement stuff in FAQs since I can’t write in each recipe box:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/faqs/
I hope you enjoy this recipe, Angelo!
The recipe looks awesome! I managed to find the black sugar on Amazon. Apparently when they translate it to English it translates to brown sugar. A friend of mine translated the label for me for the following product and it says organic pure black sugar made in Okinawa. https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Pure-Brown-Sugar-10-6oz/dp/B005F25MA6
You should also be able to find it at most Chinese markets if you look for 黑糖
Hi Carissa! Thank you for your kind words and for sharing the amazon link! I found different brands of rock sugar in Asian/Chinese grocery store, but couldn’t find 黒糖. Muscavodo sugar is closer to black sugar than dark brown sugar, so maybe that’s the best next thing after black sugar. This must be so good making with this Okinawan black sugar!
OMG! Looks melt-n-your mouth amazing! However, I don’t have ~4 hours to cook. Is there any way you can use an Instant Pot for this? (Even though I know it’s not going to look the same since you can’t skim off the scum and foam). Thanks!!!
Hi Kat! Thank you for your kind words. Sure, you can use your IP. I tried it during my recipe testing stage and I really liked how Rafute came out with regular stovetop cooking method. I really liked the gradual addition of soy sauce, and feel like the flavor absorbed in better when cooked in only sugar and Awamori (and a little bit of soy sauce) first.
This recipe looks great! I can’t wait to try it, but I would LOVE to know where to find that perforated weight that you put on top of the pork so that it does float on the top of the broth. Thanks!
Hi Isabel! Thank you for your kind words! It’s called Otoshibuta (Drop lid).
You can make it yourself:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how_to/how-to-make-otoshi-buta/
I listed on my Shop page:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/shop/
Or go to this online store (not available on Amazon):
https://www.mtckitchen.com/adjustable-stainless-steel-drop-lid/