Rustic Pork Ragu Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the pork with the salt and pepper and sear on all sides until golden brown, 3-4 minutes per side. remove pork; set aside.
• Add the onon, rosemary, and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping any bits of pork stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cover the pot tightly and simmer on the stovetop until the pork is tender enough to fall apart, 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
• Remove the pork and, when it is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-size pieces. Add the shredded pork back to the stockpot. Simmer until hot.
• To serve: Serve over the hot cooked pasta and sprinkle the Romano over the top.
• NOTE: To prepare in the crockpot, transfer the browned meat to a warm or hot crockpot in step 1. Make up the sauce as directed in step 2 (adding the completed pork gravy if you wish to use it) and pour over the meat in the crockpot. Turn the meat to make sure it is covered with the sauce. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the pork with the salt and pepper and sear on all sides until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the pork; set aside.
• Add the onion, rosemary, and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and their juices and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping any bits of pork stuck to the bottom of the pot.
• Return pork to the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover the pot tightly and simmer on the stovetop until the pork is tender enough to fall apart, 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
• Remove the pork and, when it is cool enough to handles, shred it into bite-size pieces. Add the shredded pork back to the stockpot. Simmer until hot.
• Serve over the pasta with the Romano sprinkled on top.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot. Take care not to overheat or burn the oil. Sprinkle the chuck and pork liberally with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot, drop in the meat and sear until brown on all sides. Remove the meat and set aside.
• Add the tomatoes along with the juices from the cans. Lower the heat and slowly cook the tomatoes, breaking up into small pieces using a large spoon. Continue to cut the large pieces as the tomatoes cook; cutting them will become easier. Peel the garlic and remove the ends. Crush with the blade of a large chef's knife and drop into the sauce. Don't worry about the garlic pieces being too large; they, too, will break down as they cook. Return the meat to the sauce and continue cooking until the sauce has a chunky, but uniform consistency, 2 to 3 hours.
• Add the tomato paste, 1/2 can at a time, to somewhat thicken the sauce. Simmer until desired consistency, and then stir in the basil and cook for another few minutes before serving over hot pasta (any shape will do!). This is a fresh, but hearty sauce, and every serving should have a small piece of meat served on the plate. Garnish with your favorite grated cheese and enjoy.

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, then add the carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Stir in the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook the vegetables until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute, then add the wine and cook for another minute. Stir in the stock and bring sauce to a simmer. Add the pork and season with a pinch of ground cloves. When the sauce returns to a simmer add the milk and reduce the heat to low. Let the sauce mellow while you bring the water to boil for the pasta or polenta. Sauce may be made ahead and reheated over medium-low heat. Add a splash of stock or water to thin the sauce, if necessary. Serve the sauce tossed with pasta ribbons or atop creamy bowls of polenta and garnish with lots of cheese and parsley.

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, remove the thick skin from the pork, leaving a sheen of fat on top of the meat. Season aggressively with salt and place in the refrigerator until ready to use, as long as overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a deep saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When it shimmers, gently cook the onion, celery and fennel until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and thyme and bring to a simmer, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Rinse pork to remove excess salt, dry with a paper towel and add to seasoned broth. Cover and place in the oven for 90 minutes or more, until the meat just begins to pull away from the bone.
• Allow both meat and broth to cool on the stove top for 30 minutes, or until you can touch the meat with your hands. Remove the pork and gently pull the meat from the bone, then tear the chunks into bite-size shreds. Place these in a large bowl.
• Strain the liquid into a separate bowl and then pour enough of it over the meat to barely cover. (Use the rest for soup.) Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Put a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil.
• Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the pork and braising liquid. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the butter and stir to emulsify.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water according to the directions on the package, 10 to 12 minutes. When it is finished, drain and add to the sauce along with a splash of pasta water. Simmer for 1 minute, then add the lemon juice, half of the cheese, a tablespoon of olive oil and the parsley. Stir to incorporate.
• Serve immediately, topped with arugula and the remaining cheese.