Pork in an integral part of the Italian diet. Cold cuts are used as Antipasti and for sandwiches, sausages are prized for their great flavor and you will find countless other recipes containing the other white meat, both simple and elegant. An in-expensive cut the pork butt or shoulder is delicious roasted on its own or added to a stew or classic ragu. The meat can be fatty so trim the outside fat caps. The remaining marbled fat in the meat will melt into the sauce during the long slow cooking period. If you can not find the whole butt in a supermarket you can substitute shoulder blade chops.
Although many Italian Ragu recipes call for ground meat, the slow cooked chunky ones really give additional texture and deep flavor. Diced vegetables are also an important part of a ragu, once slow cooked they give a melted texture and amazing flavor. Sometimes lard or pancetta is added to leaner ground meat stews for additional flavor, but with the shoulder butt it contains enough flavor and natural fats to stand on it's own.
Italian Pork Ragu
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lb. boneless pork butt, cut into cubes
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs of celery, diced
- 1 small fennel bulb, diced**
- 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/8 t red pepper flakes
- 1 T. tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry red wine (or white)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 pound pasta like rigatoni, penne or orechiette
- 1 1/2 cups water, plus additional for cooking pasta
fresh basil
Grated Parmigiano cheese
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot.
- Add the pork shoulder and brown nicely.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery, and fennel bulb and cook until translucent or lightly softened.
- Then add the garlic, pepper flakes and oregano and cook another 2 minutes
- Now add the tomato paste and stir while cooking another minute
- Add the red wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes, water and optional cream.
- Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring the bottom periodically.
- Cook for at least an hour to tenderize the pork, skim the top of the pot for any excessive fat or oil that has risen to the top.
- Cook the pasta in rapidly boiling salted water, drain and toss with the sauce.
- Add the basil and Parmigiano cheese.
Add additional water if necessary during the braising process so the the sauce does not burn or over reduce while tenderizing the pork. This could also be finished in a crock pot after step 6.
Adding the cream gives a rich taste like classic Bolognese sauce.
**-If fresh fennel is not available add 1 teaspoon crushed toasted fennel seeds.
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