Pork Ragu Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Find more recipes at marcellinaincucina.com

This traditional pork ragu is slow-cooked until the meat is tender and the sauce is rich, savory, and full of deep Italian flavor. Perfect with pasta for a comforting family meal or to make ahead and freeze.

Prep Time30

Cook Time2 20

Total Time2 50

Servings:

Author: Marcellina

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion
1 carrot
1 stick celery
4 cloves garlic
2 ½ ounces (75 g) pancetta (See Note 1)
2 pounds (900 g) boneless pork shoulder (See Note 2)
½ cup (125ml) dry red wine
1 ½ cups (360ml) chicken stock
3 tablespoons tomato paste
16 ounces (400 g) canned crushed tomatoes
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt

To serve

1 pound (500 g) pappardelle pasta, cooked (or pasta of choice)
Finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Instructions

Peel the onion and carrot, then finely dice them along with the celery. Peel the garlic cloves and leave them whole. Slice the pancetta, then cut into small strips or cubes.
Cut the pork shoulder into roughly ½-inch pieces. They do not need to be exact.
Heat a heavy-based pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil, diced vegetables, whole garlic cloves, and pancetta. Cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the pork. Cook, stirring regularly, until any liquid has evaporated.
Pour in the red wine and let it almost evaporate.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about a minute.
Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, rosemary, bay leaf, ground nutmeg, and salt. Stir well.
Reduce the heat to very low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 2 hours. Check and stir occasionally to make sure it is gently simmering, not boiling. If the sauce looks too dry, add a little hot water. If after an hour the sauce hasn’t reduced much, leave the lid slightly ajar so a little steam can escape to reduce the ragu.
Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
Serve with pasta such as pappardelle.

Notes

Pancetta is a cured meat that is often sold as a piece but you may also find it in strips or diced.
Pork shoulder is also known as Boston butt or pork butt. Purchase it as a whole piece. Remove the skin, if your pork shoulder has it, then trim off excess fat.

Tips for Success

Use a heavy-based pan with a lid.
Chop the vegetables finely.
Chop the pork by hand. It gives better texture than ground pork and avoids stringiness from shredded chunks.
Allow the wine to evaporate.
Keep the heat low. A fast boil will ruin the tenderness.
Simmer long and slow.

Nutrition