We had a chilly, kind of feels like autumn Sunday a couple of weeks ago. I loved it. Summer is nice but I really love fall. I love the cooler temps, the cozy sweaters, late night bonfires and the lack of humidity. This cooler day was my turn for Sunday Supper so I l wanted to make something comforting that also used a lot of fresh herbs. Our garden is still overflowing with sage, oregano and parsley.
I made a pork ragù and it did not disappoint. When I say ragù, I’m not talking about the jar sauce with the yellow cap that many Americans love (my mom included). 😉 I’m talking about a rich, Italian meat sauce that simmers or braises for a couple hours to develop an amazing flavor. Most of the time is hands off too which is always a plus in my book!
The recipe I’m sharing is adapted from Milk Street. They use a Durotherm, which I don’t have, I honestly had to google what it even was! So, I took a leap and some guessing to make this work in my regular oven in a regular pot. It came out delicious, if I do say so myself 🙂 If you have a Durotherm click here for their recipe!
Pork Ragù
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and crushed
- Optional, fresh green beans or kale
Directions
- In a large bowl, stir together the milk, 1½ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the pork, stir to coat, then set aside. Preheat the oven to 350.
- In a Dutch oven over medium high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until crisp.
- Add the carrots, onion and garlic, then cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the pork and milk and bring to a simmer. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring once or twice to ensure the milk doesn’t burn. Stir in the wine and return to a simmer for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the sage, rosemary and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cooke for 20 minutes on the stovetop.
- Place in the oven and cook for 90 minutes. ( if you’re adding in green beans or kale do this with 30 minutes left)
- Remove and serve over polenta or your favorite pasta. Top with fresh grated parmesan. Yum!
This rich, hearty dish was fantastic over soft polenta. Add a little cheese on top and a glass of red wine and you have a Sunday Supper worthy meal.
What have you been cooking? I’m always looking for new ideas!
