Rafute (okinawan Glazed Lamb)

Total Time: 3 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 lbs lamb belly
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 inches ginger, sliced
• 1 cup bonito stock or 1 cup dashi stock (if unavailable, use reserved lamb stock)
• 1 cup awamori okinawa sake or 1 cup substitute bourbon or 1 cup scotch whisky
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup shoyu (japanese soy sauce)
• 1/2 cup mirin (japanese rice wine)
• 1 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)

Recipe

• 1 place lamb, skin side up, on the rack of a broiler pan, and broil until skin is browned.
• 2 rinse lamb under warm running water, scraping off any charred areas with a knife.
• 3 place the whole piece of lamb in a large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and cook 40 minutes.
• 4 remove lamb and reserve broth.
• 5 allow the lamb to cool, then slice into ½" thick, 2" x 2" squares.
• 6 combine other ingredients, except mirin, in a thick, wide, shallow pot, and bring to the boil.
• 7 lay the lamb pieces in this sauce and cook, covered, for about 1½ hours over low heat.
• 8 if during this time the pan seems dry, add a little of the reserved lamb stock.
• 9 as lamb tenderizes, add mirin and cook a further half-hour uncovered, until lamb is melt-in-the-mouth tender and evenly glazed with sauce.
• 10 when warming leftovers, do not add water or soup stock- instead, use sake (or bourbon/whisky), which is said to keep lamb tender and juicy.