By Request Betty Shimabukuro

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Dad gets wish for
Okinawan pork specialty

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Sunday being Father's Day, this one's for Dad. My dad, that is, and all other Okinawan dads, or those with latent Okinawan tendencies.

Dad was waxing nostalgic the other day about a pork dish he tried at the Honolulu Sake Festival a few years ago. It was Rafute, a traditional Okinawan dish of sliced pork, slowly simmered in a sauce that includes a generous pour of awamori, or Okinawan sake.

His vision has since morphed into plans for a full-on Okinawan Father's Day luncheon, a bit of a challenge for our extended family. Despite being a whole half unchinanchu, we have not dabbled much in Okinawan cooking.

Thank goodness for guidebooks, of which I have three: "Ryukyuan Cuisine" from the Okinawa Tourism & Cultural Affairs Bureau, "Okinawan Mixed Plate," from Hui O Laulima, the women's auxiliary of the United Okinawan Association of Hawaii, and "The Okinawa Diet Plan," published this year by two doctors who have been researching the unparalleled longevity of native Okinawans.

The first two devote considerable space to the importance of pork in the Okinawan diet. Pork was both delicacy and everyday food, with the entire pig eaten, from ears to feet.

"The Okinawa Diet Plan" acknowledges the importance of pork, and notes that the regular inclusion of animal protein can be an advantage over purely vegetarian diets when it comes to longevity. But the authors, Drs. Bradley and Craig Willcox, also note that meat was traditionally a small part of a diet rich in whole foods and soy.

Rafute, then, is best enjoyed in small amounts, made as it is with belly pork -- sliced to show off its even layers of skin and fat. "Okinawan Mixed Plate," the source of this recipe, states that the awamori in Rafute prevented spoilage and kept the meat tender even when reheated. (The cookbook is available at the Hawaii Okinawan Center or e-mail emkuba@yahoo.com)

Rafute is sometimes served as a dish loosely termed Shoyu Pork, made with less fatty pork butt cut in cubes. If you prefer that approach, this recipe will still work, although you'll probably be working with more meat. Increase the amount of all the liquids, perhaps adding bonito stock or pork broth.

Rafute

1-1/2 pounds belly pork
1/2 cup awamori, sake or whiskey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1-inch piece ginger, crushed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup mirin

Cover pork with water in a large pot. Bring to a rolling boil, then simmer 10 minutes to remove excess fat. Drain and rinse pork; cut into 1/2-inch slices.

Combine liquor, soy sauce and ginger in pot; bring to boil. Add pork slices in a single layer. Cover and simmer 1 hour, turning occasionally so both sides are evenly glazed with sauce.

Combine sugar and mirin; stir into pot. Cook, uncovered, 45 minutes or more, until pork is glazed and soft. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 550 calories, 45 g total fat, 16 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 950 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 10 g protein.

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"By Request," Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
500 Ala Moana, No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813.
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Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.