Mumu (Papua New Guinean Earth Oven Pork)

About This Recipe

Mumu is the grand feast tradition of Papua New Guinea, practised across the Highlands and coastal communities as a way to mark births, marriages, exchanges, and sing-sings (cultural gatherings). Rocks are heated in a fire for hours, then food — pork, kaukau (sweet potato), banana, taro, and leafy greens — is layered in a pit lined with banana leaves, covered with more leaves and earth, and left to steam for several hours. The result is extraordinarily tender, smoky pork and vegetables perfumed with banana leaf. This recipe adapts the technique for a home oven.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 kgpork belly or shoulder, cut into large pieces
• 800 gsweet potato (kaukau), peeled and halved
• 4banana leaves, softened over flame
• 400 gtaro, peeled and cut into chunks
• 200 gaibika (slippery cabbage) or English spinach
• 1 tbspsalt
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 4 clovesgarlic, crushed
• 2 tspground ginger

Instructions

1. 1

   Season pork

   Rub pork pieces with salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger. Allow to marinate for 2 hours or overnight.

2. 2

   Line the pot

   Line a large Dutch oven with banana leaves, letting them drape over the sides. Layer sweet potato and taro on the bottom.

3. 3

   Layer and seal

   Place the pork on top of the vegetables. Add the aibika leaves, then fold the banana leaves over everything. Add 300 ml of water, seal with foil, and put the lid on.

4. 4

   Slow cook

   Cook in a 150°C oven for 3.5–4 hours until the pork is falling-apart tender. Rest for 20 minutes before serving family-style.

Variations

• •

  Include whole corn cobs for sweetness.

• •

  Add green unripe bananas alongside the root vegetables.

• •

  Use goat meat or lamb shoulder in place of pork.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheats beautifully with a little water added.

Frequently Asked Questions