Sometimes less is not more. There are times when the essence of a recipe is indulgence. To temper that excess would be to make a lesser version of the recipe. While I suggest enjoying these recipes in moderation, if you’re going to the effort of satisfying a craving, then I also suggest making the most delicious version of that recipe. For pork ragu, the more rich, savory and meaty, the better. So why choose one cut of meat when three impart more flavor, more variety, and more satisfaction?
Using a slow braise, multiple varieties of pork, umami-rich ingredients, and by blending the base; the resulting ragu becomes the ultimate version of itself. Complex, layered flavor from pork shoulder, aromatics, wine, and glutamate-rich tomato paste and miso, slowly deepens in the oven. As the braise renders and caramelizes, the flavors are so intense you can practically taste them in the air. True to the virtues of braising, the recipe is mostly hands off, as it simmers away — adding even more to your ultimate satisfaction. Pair the ragu with pasta, plenty of parmesan cheese, and a nice red wine — you’ll be letting out little sighs of blissful content all meal long.
Why this Recipe Works
Multiple meats
We’re not aiming for subtle. More meat brings more flavor and volume to this recipe. Pork shoulder, pancetta and italian sausage each bring their own unique flavor, building off of each other to create the ultimate ragu experience. Cured pancetta brings salt, fat, and intriguing barnyard flavor. Pork shoulder adds collagen, and hearty braised meat flavor. Italian sausage lends bright fennel and pepper flavors to the mix.
An abundance of pork means that each variety is able to cook to its ideal specifications without depriving the ragu of deep savory flavor. The rendered pancetta fat is used to cook the aromatics, but the meat is reserved until the final steps so that it doesn’t get chewy. The pork shoulder benefits from the full braising time, for the most tender results. And the sausage braises just long enough to cook through without drying out. Yet at every stage, meat juices, collagen and fat are suffusing the ragu.
Best of all, the ragu is overflowing with pork. There’s no need to hunt for a meaty bite, or save the best bite for last — there’s succulent meat in every bite!
Slow cooking
The idea behind any braised meat is a low, slow and moist cooking environment that breaks down tough connective tissue. As the connective tissue slowly climbs above 200 °F, it breaks down into collagen, giving the sauce silky texture. Meanwhile, the low temperature ensures the muscle fibers don’t contract too tightly and dry out. Fat in the meat also has time to fully render, providing rich flavor to both the meat and sauce. The result is fork-tender meat in a deeply savory sauce. The more connective tissue that a cut of meat has, the better suited it is for braising, and pork shoulder is a quintessential candidate.
Umami
Using umami-rich ingredients maximizes the comforting, savory flavor in the pork ragu. Umami is one of the 5 basic tastes that our taste buds are designed to recognize — along with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. The umami flavor is characterized as savory and meaty like a rich broth or cured meat. Glutamates, a naturally occurring amino acid in certain foods, are responsible for the umami flavor.
Pork, tomatoes, miso, garlic and aged cheeses are all rich in glutamates. In addition, inosinate and guanylate, two compounds known to have a synergistic boosting effect on the umami flavor, are also found in pork and tomatoes. Ingredients such as pancetta, tomato paste, miso paste, roasted garlic and parmesan cheese, which are cured, reduced, fermented, or aged all have concentrated levels of glutamates, and impart deeper umami flavor. Thanks to these umami-rich ingredients, this pork ragu is full of meaty, savory, rich, roasted flavor. Sugar and acid balance these richer flavors to complete the delicious flavor profile.
If you so choose, adding mushrooms — also high in glutamates — can strengthen the umami backbone even further. Roast or thoroughly sauté 8 oz of mushrooms to remove as much water as possible, before adding them with the rest of the vegetables and continue with the recipe as written.
Blending the tomato sauce
The braised cooking technique imparts a tremendous amount of flavor to the tomato-based sauce. Meanwhile, collagen from the pork shoulder, and fiber from the vegetables provide the sauce with body and texture. By blending the sauce (without the meat of course), all of the flavor is evenly distributed, and the sauce takes on a thick, luxurious consistency. The smooth sauce envelopes a bounty of braised pork shoulder, pancetta and italian sausage, showcasing the meat rather than distracting from it.
The Process
The recipe follows a straightforward and forgiving braising technique. With so many rich and flavorful ingredients, it’s nearly impossible to end up with dull or dry results.
Although it’s an optional step, I always like to marinate or brine the pork shoulder. If you have the ingredients ahead of time, rub the pork shoulder evenly with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika. Store in a covered container or ziplock bag in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
When you’re ready to make the ragu; off heat, add the pancetta and 1 tablespoon water to a dutch oven or other heavy bottomed sauce pot. Set the dutch oven over medium heat; cook the pancetta until most of the fat is rendered, and the pancetta is golden brown. Set the pancetta aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pot, and cook until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic, tomato paste and miso paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste turns brick red and the garlic is fragrant.
It’s ok — in fact, it’s a good thing — if the ingredients begin sticking to the bottom of the pan, as long as the bottom layer is a dark golden brown. However, if this layer, also called frond, begins turning black or smells burnt, then it is scorching; immediately turn the temperature to low and continue stirring constantly. Ideally, the frond will reach a dark golden brown just in time to add the red wine. If you feel that the frond is browning too quickly while sautéing the vegetables and tomato paste, you can lower the temperature to medium-low in order to slow the cooking process.
Add 1 cup of the red wine to the pot, and scrape the frond with a wooden spatula to incorporate it into the liquid. Add the rest of the wine, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer the mixture until the wine is slightly reduced and thickened. Add the crushed tomato, sugar, herbs and ½ teaspoon salt; and return the sauce to a simmer.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 °F, and pat the pork shoulder dry. When the sauce is hot and simmering, lay the pork shoulder on top, cover the dutch oven and place it in the oven for 1½ hours.
Remove the dutch oven from the oven, and place the italian sausage on top of the pork shoulder. Cover the dutch oven and return it to the oven for another 30 minutes.
Set the italian sausage and pork shoulder aside to cool slightly. Skim the fat from the top of the sauce with a spoon. You don’t have to worry about removing all of the fat. Some fat will benefit the richness of the sauce — we just don’t want so much that the ragu feels greasy. Transfer the sauce to a blender in batches; make sure the blender lid is vented, and hold the lid in place with a kitchen towel. Blend the sauce until smooth. Alternatively, transfer the sauce to a large bowl, in batches if necessary, and blend with an immersion blender. If the pot that you used to cook the ragu has no enamel or non-stick coating, then you can use the immersion blender directly in the sauce pot. Return all of the sauce to the dutch oven or sauce pot.
Re-warm the sauce over medium-low heat. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, shred the pork shoulder into 2-inch chunks, discarding any bone and large pieces of fat. Slice the italian sausage ¼-inch thick. Return the pork shoulder, italian sausage, and pancetta to the sauce, and stir to incorporate. Allow the meat to warm for 10 minutes. DIG IN.
What You’ll Need
Blender or immersion blender: A proper blender is a great addition to any kitchen. Far from just a niche kitchen appliance, a blender is handy for soups, sauces, smoothies, frozen drinks, milkshakes, mayonnaise, or even herb oils if you’re feeling fancy. The top of the line is Vitamix. It’s an investment, but the quality and power are worth it for the best results. However, a more affordable option that is still reliable and gets the job done is this KitchenAid model.
An immersion blender is also a great option, specifically for soups and sauces. Although it won’t achieve results as smooth as those from a high-powered blender, an immersion blender is a very practical gadget and much easier to clean. I recommend this Mueller model, which is still going strong after years of use.
Dutch oven: Although you can make this recipe without a dutch oven, with its many attributes, I guarantee that you’ll be glad to have this kitchen workhorse at your disposal. The cast iron construction, enamel coating, and tight fitting lid make a dutch oven a great choice for soups, sauces, braises, chili, oatmeal, bread, and caramel, just to name a few uses — and they are perfect for recipes that move from the stovetop to the oven, or for frying. You can even use a dutch oven for service to keep food warm (and camera ready).
Once again, there’s a pricey high-end option, and a more affordable mid-priced option. Keep in mind that properly cared for, a dutch oven will last a lifetime and more. If you want the top of the line, and have the means, get the Le Creuset model. Much more affordable options that will still provide the reliability and versatility that you need, are these Lodge and Cuisinart models.
Miso paste: Miso paste may not be something that you already have in your kitchen, so here’s my case for why it should be. I use miso paste as a sort of secret ingredient. This fermented soybean paste is full of umami and readily boosts the flavor of whatever you put it in. Miso paste lasts almost indefinitely in the refrigerator, easily more than 6 months, and can be used in a wide range of recipes — sauces, marinades, stir fries, salad dressings, and even makes an intriguing addition to baked goods such as pie crusts, cookies, or biscuits.
There are two styles of miso paste, white and red — either can be used in this recipe. Red miso paste is aged longer, and therefore more concentrated, with stronger flavor. If you’re just getting into miso, you can start with white; if it sounds fantastic to you and you’re all in, go with red. Personally I buy red miso, because I love the big bold flavor. However, if you’re still not convinced, you can substitute soy sauce in the pork ragu.
Wine Pairings
A Napa Cabernet Sauvignon or a Chianti Classico will make for classic and decadent pairings. For something a little different, and equally delicious, give these other wines a try.
Reds
- Valpolicella Ripasso: For its full body, and dried fruit flavors.
- Tempranillo: For its medium acidity, and savory herb flavors.
Sparkling
- Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro: For its grippy tannins, and black currant flavors
Notes
If you plan ahead, I recommend seasoning the pork shoulder 48 hours before making the ragu, and roasting the garlic anytime during that window.
To roast the garlic, cut off the top ⅓ of the head of garlic, drizzle with ½ teaspoon olive oil, and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Roast for 50 minutes at 350 °F. To remove the roasted garlic, squeeze the head of garlic from the base towards the top. If you don’t have time to roast the garlic ahead of the recipe, you can substitute 4 large cloves of minced raw garlic.
You can use boneless or bone-in pork shoulder. If the pork shoulder is thicker than 3 inches, cut it into 2 pieces.
You can use white miso instead of red miso paste. If you don’t have miso paste, you can substitute ¼ cup soy sauce, but add it with the wine in step 4, rather than with the tomato paste.
Cook your choice of pasta to al dente. I recommend fettuccine or rigatoni. Stir your preferred amount of ragu in with the pasta. Sprinkle a generous ½ cup of finely grated parmesan, pecorino, or romano cheese over the pasta and stir to combine. Serve the pasta with additional cheese on top.
Alternatively, you can also pair the pork ragu with roasted potatoes, polenta, crusty bread, your grain of choice, or use it for lasagna.
The sauce will keep up to 7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Gently reheat on the stove top, stirring occasionally, before serving.
Ultimate Pork Ragu
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Pork Shoulder
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 4 ounces Diced Pancetta
- 1 large Onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 2 large Carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 large rib Celery, diced (about ½ cup)
- 3 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 tablespoon Red Miso Paste
- 1 head Roasted Garlic
- 2 cups dry Red Wine
- 2 28-ounce cans Crushed Tomato
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian Herbs
- 5 sprigs fresh Thyme
- ½ pound Mild Italian Sausage
Instructions
- Pat dry pork shoulder with paper towel. Rub pork shoulder evenly with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and smoked paprika. Pork shoulder can be covered and refrigerated for up to 48 hours before continuing with recipe.
- Set oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 300 °F. Off heat, add pancetta and 1 tablespoon water to a large dutch oven. Cook pancetta over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and pancetta is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer pancetta to a small bowl, leaving fat in dutch oven. Store pancetta in refrigerator.
- Add onion, carrot, celery, and ½ teaspoon salt to dutch oven over medium heat; cook, stirring frequently, until onion begins to soften, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste, miso paste, and roasted garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste turns brick red and sticks to bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. If at any point ingredients begin to burn at bottom of the pan, lower heat to medium-low.
- Add 1 cup red wine to dutch oven. Scrape bottom of pan with wooden spatula to incorporate browned layer. Add remaining wine, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; continue to simmer until liquid is slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. Add crushed tomato, remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar, italian herbs, fresh thyme, and ½ teaspoon salt to dutch oven. Stir to combine, and return to a simmer over medium heat. Lay pork shoulder over tomato sauce. Cover dutch oven and transfer to oven for 1½ hours.
- Remove dutch oven from the oven. Place sausage over pork shoulder. Cover dutch oven and return to oven for 30 minutes. Transfer sausage and pork shoulder to a large platter or cutting board. With a spoon, skim excess fat from top of tomato sauce. Remove thyme sprigs from sauce. Make sure to vent blender lid; cover lid with kitchen towel; and hold lid in place. In batches, transfer sauce to blender and blend until smooth. Return sauce to dutch oven, and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- As sauce reheats, shred pork shoulder into 2-inch chunks, discarding bone and any large pieces of fat. Slice sausage ¼-inch thick. Stir pork shoulder, sausage and pancetta into sauce. Allow meat to warm for 10 minutes. Serve with pasta and parmesan cheese, or your choice of starch or grain.
Notes
- If you plan ahead, I recommend seasoning the pork shoulder 48 hours before making the ragu, and roasting the garlic anytime during that window.
- To roast the garlic, cut off the top ⅓ of the head of garlic, drizzle with ½ teaspoon olive oil, and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Roast for 50 minutes at 350 °F. To remove the roasted garlic, squeeze the head of garlic from the base towards the top. If you don’t have time to roast the garlic ahead of the recipe, you can substitute 4 large cloves of minced raw garlic.
- You can use boneless or bone-in pork shoulder. If the pork shoulder is thicker than 3 inches, cut it into 2 pieces.
- You can use white miso instead of red miso paste. If you don’t have miso paste, you can substitute ¼ cup soy sauce, but add it with the wine in step 4, rather than with the tomato paste.
- Cook your choice of pasta to al dente. I recommend fettuccine or rigatoni. Stir your preferred amount of ragu in with the pasta. Sprinkle a generous ½ cup of finely grated parmesan, pecorino, or romano cheese over the pasta and stir to combine. Serve the pasta with additional cheese on top.
- Alternatively, you can also pair the pork ragu with roasted potatoes, polenta, crusty bread, your grain of choice, or use it for lasagna.
- The sauce will keep up to 7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Gently reheat on the stove top, stirring occasionally, before serving.
Salut Rémi !
Je garde ta recette pour cet automne, elle a l’air délicieuse.
Ciao !