Puaka Tunu (Tongan Roast Pork)
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The Tale of Puaka Tunu (Tongan Roast Pork)
Whole roast pig cooked in an underground earth oven, or 'umu, is a Polynesian cooking method used across Tonga for centuries, especially for feasts. Pork holds deep ceremonial and celebratory significance in Tongan culture, central to major life events and royal occasions.
Ingredients
Scale:· 8 servings
- 3 kg whole pork shoulder or suckling pig portion
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- juice of 2 lemons
- banana leaves for wrapping (optional)
Instructions
- 1Score the skin of the pork in a crosshatch pattern.
- 2Mix garlic, salt, pepper, soy sauce and lemon juice into a marinade and rub it all over the pork, working it into the scored skin.
- 3Let the pork marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- 4Wrap the pork in banana leaves if desired, or place directly on a rack in a roasting pan.
- 5Roast in a preheated oven at 180C (350F), or traditionally in an underground umu pit, until the meat is very tender and the skin crisp, about 2 hours, basting occasionally.
- 6Let the pork rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- 7Serve with root vegetables and coconut cream.
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