August 8, 2023
Rafute (Okinawan Soy Braised Pork Belly)
Rafute is an Okinawan dish of pork belly that is traditionally braised in soy sauce and the local black sugar and local wine, Awamori. To make this low carb and gluten-free, I have opted to use coconut aminos but you could also substitute low sodium tamari sauce and stevia glycerite, to taste. In place of the traditional Awamori, I used a Japanese sake. Adapted from here. I like to serve this with shaved cucumbers lightly dressed with rice vinegar, coconut aminos, and toasted sesame oil, to taste. Kabocha braised until tender in dashi as well as seaweed and fresh ginger make excellent additions as well.
Servings: 3
Calories: 793kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork belly block boneless, with or without skin
- 2 cups water
- 1 cups katsuobushi dried bonito flakes, or 1 teaspoon hondashi powder added to the water
- 1/2 cup sake
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos
- 1/2 tablespoon molasses mimics brown sugar flavor and doesn’t add a lot of carbs per serving
- 1/2 inch piece ginger sliced thin
Instructions
- Cover for with cold water and bring to a boil. Blanch pork 1 min boiling water. Rinse pork and pot. Add water to cover pork again and bring to a boil. Skim liquid and cook at a simmer for 1.5 hours, uncovered. Add more water as needed to keep the pork covered. The pork is ready when it is tender and is easy to pierce with a knife. Remove from the water and cool until you can handle it.
- Prepare the dashi – if using katsuobbushi, add the 2 cups water and 1 cup katsuobushi to a pot and bring to a boil. Turn off heat at let steep while the pork is cooling.
- Strain the dashi and rinse the pot. Return the strained liquid to the pot. (If using hondashi, just add it to the 2 cups water, no need to strain.) Slice the cooled pork to 1-inch thickness and add to the dashi along with the sake, coconut aminos, and molasses. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until completely tender.
- Serve with a bit of braining liquid, sliced ginger as a garnish.
Notes
Protein:Energy Quotient [calories]: 0.12, Protein % of calories: 7.1%
Nutrition Facts
Rafute (Okinawan Soy Braised Pork Belly)
Amount per Serving
Calories
793
% Daily Value*
Fat
80
g
123
%
Saturated Fat
29
g
181
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
9
g
Monounsaturated Fat
37
g
Cholesterol
109
mg
36
%
Sodium
58
mg
3
%
Potassium
328
mg
9
%
Carbohydrates
2
g
1
%
Sugar
2
g
2
%
Protein
14
g
28
%
Vitamin A
15
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
0.5
mg
1
%
Calcium
19
mg
2
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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