Highland Pork Mumu
“PNG highland pork preparation — pork belly slow-cooked with kaukau, taro, pumpkin, and a sweet-savory marinade of garlic, ginger, and salt. The Highlands celebration dish prepared in mumu earth ovens or modern home ovens.”
Where it comes from
PNG Highlands (Mt Hagen, Enga, Goroka) raises domesticated pigs that are the central ceremonial animal in many tribes. Pigs are slaughtered for ceremonies and cooked in mumu earth ovens; this is a modern home-oven adaptation.
On the plate
Spoon up highland pork — pork belly chunks fall-apart tender, soy-and-ginger glazed, tubers golden-soft beneath, coconut-milk-and-stock pooled. Bite pork: rich, melting fat layered with caramelized soy; the ginger's warmth, garlic's depth; the kaukau and taro absorbing the glaze. With sliced fresh chili on the side, this is the PNG Highlands ceremonial table.
How it works
Browning develops Maillard depth. Long oven braising tenderizes pork belly. Final uncovered baking crisps tops. Coconut milk and stock balance richness with brightness.
Variations
With added sago. With pineapple. With more chili. With added Chinese five-spice. With added cassava. Slow-cooker version.
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
10 steps · Show ↓30 min active · 150 min waiting
How it's made
10 steps · Show ↓- 14 min
Cut 1.2 kg pork belly into 4-cm cubes.
- 232 min
Marinate: combine 6 minced garlic, 1 thumb grated ginger, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper. Toss pork; rest 30 min.
- 35 min
Preheat oven to 175°C.
- 412 min
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large oven-safe pot. Brown pork in batches 5 min per side; remove.
- 56 min
Add 600 g kaukau cubes, 400 g taro chunks, 300 g pumpkin chunks to the pot.
- 64 min
Return pork; pour 500 ml chicken stock + 250 ml coconut milk over.
- 776 min
Cover; transfer to oven; bake 75 min.
- 822 min
Uncover; bake 20 more min to crisp pork tops.
- 91 min
Garnish with 2 tbsp chopped scallions.
- 101 min
Serve hot directly from the pot.
