JapanCulture•NYC’s Saturday•Izakaya video segment is back with one more dish from Okinawa: Rafute.

Rafute (pronounced rah – foo – tay) is a glazed pork belly dish popular in Okinawa, where pork rules as the main source of protein.

Here’s our Saturday•Izakaya video with the step-by-step process of how to make rafute:

Making rafute is not difficult, but we must warn you that it’s a time-consuming process. With all of the boiling, re-boiling, and simmering involved, you’ll need about four hours from start to finish. Don’t be discouraged, however. Rafute’s intense flavor – think giant chunks of sweet/salty bacon! – is well worth the time. We recommend having Orion Beer or Awamori handy to occupy yourself while the meat is cooking.