Pork in Coconut Milk (Puaka Mo Lolo)

Puaka mo lolo comes from the Tongan tradition of cooking pork with coconut milk to tame the richness of the meat and make it go further. It is a humble pot dish, often made after a village pig is shared out, with each family simmering its portion with coconut cream, onion, and salt until it collapses into tenderness.

What makes it great: deeply savory, faintly sweet, and utterly indulgent, with a coconut sauce that turns thick and glossy as it cooks. The pork becomes so tender it yields to a spoon, and the sauce is the best part — made for mopping up with boiled taro or rice.

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