Pork Ragù

Published 6:00 am Monday, September 20, 2021

Michelin-starred chef Ryan Ratino’s ragù is a slow-simmered, hearty dish that’s a nod to the classic Bolognese sauce from Emilia-Romagna. Instead of beef, Ryan likes to use pork in this recipe because “it has great flavor and lots of cooking options.”

Pork Ragù

Yields: about 6 servings

• 3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tsp plus 1 Tbsp salt, divided (plus more for pasta water)
• ½ Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large carrots, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 fresno chile pepper, seeds removed and pepper cut into ¼-inch pieces
• 1 large white onion, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 medium fennel bulb, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 2 oz fresh thyme sprigs, leaves removed and finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2½ cups dry red wine
• 1 carton (32 oz) chicken stock (4 cups)
• 4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 package (1 lb) penne or rigatoni pasta
• ½ cup cold butter (1 stick), cut into 4 equal pieces
• grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 

In large bowl, sprinkle pork with 2 teaspoons salt and black pepper and toss until evenly coated; let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

In wide-bottomed 8-quart saucepot, heat oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add pork to saucepot and cook until all sides are golden-brown, turning pork with tongs and transferring to separate bowl as pieces are done.

Add garlic, carrots, chile pepper, onion, fennel, thyme, fennel seeds, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes and remaining 1 tablespoon salt and cook until vegetables are well caramelized, stirring frequently and scraping bottom of saucepot to remove any browned bits. 

Return all pork and any juices in bowl to saucepot. Add red wine; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and gently boil until wine is reduced by half, occasionally scraping bottom of saucepot to deglaze pan and release browned bits. Add chicken stock and crushed tomatoes; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low or medium-low; cover and simmer about 2 hours or until pork is fork-tender. 

About 20 minutes before ragù is done, heat large saucepot of salted water to boiling over high heat. Add pasta and cook as label directs or until al dente. Drain pasta in colander. 

Remove ragù from heat; add pasta to ragù and toss until coated in sauce. Add butter and gently stir until butter melts. Serve pasta with cheese to sprinkle on top.