From the Salivate! kitchen

Pork Ragu with Italian Herbs

Pork Ragu with Italian Herbs

The story behind the dish

The rich pork with  Italian herbs, tomato and red wine is a marriage made in Italian slow-cooked heaven!

The recipe

Pork Ragu with Italian Herbs

Shop Italian Herbs
Prep time
30 minutes
Cook time
3 hours
Total time
3 ½ hours
Serves
6
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

  • 1.2 kg to 1.5 kg boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 large chunks
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 medium carrots, finely diced
  • 2 stalks celery, finely diced
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 heaping tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine (like Chianti or Merlot)
  • 1 can (800g) crushed tomatoes
  • 1½ cups beef stock
  • 2 tbsp Salivate! Italian Herbs Blend
  • ½ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • To taste: salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Method

  1. Sear the meat: Pat the pork shoulder dry and season all sides heavily with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a heavy based pot over medium-high heat. Sear the pork chunks for 4–5 minutes per side until a deep, golden crust forms. Remove meat and set aside.
  2. Lower the heat to medium. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery (the soffritto). Sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the minced garlic, Salivate! Italian herbs, and optional chilli flakes. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Stir in the tomato paste and let it darken for about 1–2 minutes. Pour in the red wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the delicious browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 3 minutes until the liquid reduces by half.
  4. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and beef stock. Stir well, then nestle the seared pork chunks and bay leaves back into the liquid. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Cover tightly with a lid and simmer gently for 2½ to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the pork is melt-in-your-mouth tender.
  5. Shred and serve: Remove the pork chunks from the pot. Use two forks to easily shred the meat into strands. Discard the bay leaves. Stir the shredded pork back into the tomato sauce.
  6. Notes: Do not trim away all the fat from the pork shoulder before cooking. It melts down during the long braise to give the ragù its silky texture. If the sauce looks too oily at the end, simply skim any excess grease off the top with a spoon before serving.
  7. Serve over your favourite pasta or some soft creamy polenta. Top with good quality Parmesan cheese