Rafute Glazed Pork

Mrs. Yasuko Takamine

Serves: 6

• 1½ lb. belly pork
• ½ cup sake or whiskey
• ½ cup shoyu
• 1 inch ginger
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup mirin

Singe pork over hot coals or place pork, skin side up, on rack of broiler pan and broil until skin is browned. Rinse pork under warm running water, scraping off any charred areas with knife. Cut pork into 1½ inch cubes. Add sake, shoyu, and ginger (crushed with knife) and bring to a rapid boil. Place pork cubes with skin side down. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, turning pork occasionally until evenly glazed with sauce. Stir in sugar and mirin. Continue cooking uncovered for 30 minutes until pork pieces are completely glazed and soft.

Note: Cooking pork with liquor in sauce prevents meat from getting tough no matter how many times the pork is reheated. Rafute should be cooked until pork is soft.