Rustic Pork Ragu Recipes

RUSTIC PORK RAGU

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.

PORK AND BEEF RAGU

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.