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I love a good slow-braised ragu. A good ragu will be packed with flavor and have a gourmet vibe. And here is a tip – you don’t need to use fancy meat (e.g., beef short rib, duck leg, lamb shoulder) to achieve the fine dining feel. This ragu, which happens to be one of my favorites, is actually made with pork shoulder. Grab the lamb and beef when you can score a deal but when there are none to be had, you can’t go wrong with pork shoulder. The slow braising method used in this pork shoulder ragu recipe transforms an inexpensive cup of meat into a luxuriously tender and richly flavored ragu. You can apply your savings towards good pasta and cheese!
Looking for more ragu recipes try my pappardelle with duck ragu or my gourmet lamb ragu. Tip: Buy a 9 or 10-pound pork shoulder and use half for this recipe and half for my pork shoulder stove-top carnitas!
Notes on Braised Pork Should Ragu
Pork Shoulder Ragu Ingredients
The ingredients for this recipe are pretty straightforward. You will find everything you need for the ragu at your local supermarket. I recommend purchasing some good-quality pasta and cheese for garnishing.
Pasta:
Paccheri and Pappardelle are my favorite pastas for meaty ragu. The general consensus is that a meaty ragu is best served on sturdy tubular pasta or wide ribbons. If you want to read more on pasta pairings, here is an article from Bon Appetit. Anyway, I would encourage you to splurge a little for a nice pasta to pair with a beautiful sauce like this. You can find fancy pasta (i.e., paccheri and pappardelle) at upscale grocery stores and specialty stores (online too). Your typical grocery store might not carry these but it will have good pasta options – try a rigatoni from DeCecco or Barilla. Look for the words “slow-dried” as a quality indicator. Here’s another Bon Appetit article on why it’s worth shelling out a few extra dollars on quality pasta.
Cheese:
I top this ragu with a bit of shredded pecorino and a big dollop of either ricotta or burrata – decadent, I know!
Burrata is a soft cow’s milk that is really rich and creamy. It looks a lot like fresh mozzarella and its outer curd is made from mozzarella – but the inside holds delicious stringy curd (stracciatella) and cream. I buy burrata from our local Italian store. You may be able to find it in up-scale grocery stores too. It is pricy, like mozzarella de buffalo, but worth the splurge in my opinion. Fresh ricotta also works great. Plus, it’s easy to find and cheaper.
Pecorino is hard sheep’s milk cheese. It tastes pretty similar to parmesan (which works fine here too). Its flavor is a little stronger often described as more “tangy.” It’s not as hard to find as burrata, our Trader Joes and Whole Foods both stock it.
It seems there are a plethora of blog posts out there on the difference between burrata and mozzarella and parmesan versus pecorino. Check them out if you want to know more about the aging process, where the cheese is from etc. You can get started with the Kitchen on Mozzarella and Burrata and SpoonUniversity on Parmesan versus Pecorino. Or . . . just head to your favorite cheese shop and do your own research!!!
A Slow Braise Cooking Method
I love the slow braise method used for ragu. It results in super tender meat infused with rich flavor. Plus it makes your house smell wonderful. The method does take a bit of time – about 4 hours total. It’s best for a weekend (or day when you are home all afternoon). However, the active cook time is not too bad. It probably takes me a little under 30 minutes total to chop and sear the pork. Tip: searing the meat first is a must for great flavor.
Other active steps include chopping your onion, garlic, carrots, and celery, and shredding the pork. I do these steps after the pork comes out of the oven while I down the braising liquid.
Suggest Servings and Pairings for Pork Shoulder Ragu
This dish is great for entertaining. You can make it in advance (or a day ahead). Just warm it up and boil the pasta when you are ready to eat! Dish it up in large pasta bowls and top it with a spoon or two of burrata. Garnish with parsley and pecorino.
I don’t think ragu needs many sides. A simple salad will do the trick.
Wine: While pork is “the other white meat”, I would still go with a red wine. If you are sticking to Italian wines, try a Chianti Riserva or a Montepulciano. Barolo or Barbaresco (both Nebbiolos from the Piedmont region) would also be excellent choices. The latter two tend to be a bit pricey – you probably won’t find one under $40.
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Pork Shoulder Ragu with Paccheri
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Braise
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
The pork shoulder ragu is luxurious!
The recipe is adapted from Cook Beautiful by Athena Calderone.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 2 inch pieces*
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 or 5 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup dry red wine (I use Chianti)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomato
- 1 lb paccheri (or other pasta choice)*
- shredded pecorino
- 6 oz buratta or ricotta cheese
- fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 325 F.
- Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven.
- Generously season the pork with salt and fresh ground pepper. When oil is shimmering, add half of the meat to the pan and brown on all sides (about 3- 4 minutes a side should do it). When pork is browned, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a plate. Brown the second half of the pork and transfer it to the plate.
- Add the wine to dutch oven and simmer over medium. Use your wooden spoon to loosen any crispy pork bits stuck to the bottom. Add the rosemary and thyme. Let the wine simmer for about 5 minutes or until it reduces by half. Return meat to pan and add the chicken stock and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven.*
- Let the meat braise in the oven for about 2 hours (until it is tender enough to easily shred).
- Remove the pot from the oven. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a plate. Bring the braising liquid to boil and and allow it simmer on high for 20 to 30 minutes (until it has cooked down to about 1 cup). In the mean time, shred the pork. Transfer the braising liquid to a bowl. Skim the fat off the top.
- Return pot to heat and melt butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and fennel and cook 2-4 minutes more. Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, milk, pork, and reserved braising liquid. Simmer uncovered over low for 1 hour. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- When you are ready to eat, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions for al dente. Drain pasta.
- To serve, divide pasta evenly in large pasta bowls. Top with generous portion of ragu and garnish with burrata/ricotta, pecorino, and parsley.
Notes
*If you can find boneless pork shoulder, it makes chopping easier but I usually buy bone-in as that is what all our grocery store has.
*The stock should just cover the meat. If not add a bit more (or a little water).
I think one pound of paccheri feeds about 4. The recipe will need enough ragu sauce for at least 6 servings – cook a little extra pasta if you plan to feed 6.
Keywords: braise, pork shoulder, ragu, pasta, paccheri, burrata
Favorite Ragu Kitchen Tools
A dutch oven is large, heavy, oven safe pot with lid. Quality ones are not cheap but they are a must for braising and baking bread (make sure it is oven safe at high temperatures). Le Creuset makes one of the most-well loved (but pricey) ones. Lodge makes a more affordable one that was highly reviewed by consumer reports. I’ve loved my Le Creuset for years. It’s taken a beating lately from all my bread baking so I am thinking about getting a second lodge pot just for that purpose. Tip: Use Bar Keepers Friend to scrub burnt stains off your pot and keep it looking new!
