Pork Ragu For A Crowd Recipes

PORK RAGU

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, then add the carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Stir in the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook the vegetables until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute, then add the wine and cook for another minute. Stir in the stock and bring sauce to a simmer. Add the pork and season with a pinch of ground cloves. When the sauce returns to a simmer add the milk and reduce the heat to low. Let the sauce mellow while you bring the water to boil for the pasta or polenta. Sauce may be made ahead and reheated over medium-low heat. Add a splash of stock or water to thin the sauce, if necessary. Serve the sauce tossed with pasta ribbons or atop creamy bowls of polenta and garnish with lots of cheese and parsley.

BRAISED PORK RAGU

Steps:

• Season pork with the rosemary, thyme, pepper, and salt. Heat oil in a large large Dutch over over medium-high heat. Sear pork in the hot oil until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
• Stir onion and carrot into pot; cook until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour in the wine; stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the tomatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer; cook until meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes.

SLOW-COOKER PORK RAGU

Steps:

• Spray 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
• In 5-quart Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp. With slotted spoon, remove bacon to small bowl.
• Season pork with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Add half of the pork to bacon drippings in Dutch oven, and cook 4 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned. With slotted spoon, remove pork from Dutch oven to slow cooker. Repeat with remaining pork.
• Add onions, carrots, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to Dutch oven; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Stir in garlic and oregano; cook 30 seconds. Add broth; heat to simmering, stirring to remove brown bits on bottom. Transfer mixture to slow cooker with pork. Stir in tomatoes and bacon.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until pork is tender and easily falls apart. Before serving, shred pork with two forks. Serve over cooked pasta. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh herbs.

PORK RAGU OVER PENNE

Steps:

• Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper and brown it on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. While the pork is browning, add the celery, carrots, and onion to the bowl of a slow cooker. Put the pork on top of the vegetables and add the tomatoes and garlic. Place into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
• Remove the pork to a cutting board or sheet pan. Pour the vegetables and liquid from the slow cooker bowl into a saute pan over medium heat, and mash with a fork. Add the tomato paste to the pan sauce and stir to incorporate. Shred the pork, add it to the vegetables, and let this simmer, uncovered, while you cook the pasta (save 2 cups of the ragu for the Round 2 Recipe Lasagna Roll Ups).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne, stir, and cover the pot. When it returns to a boil, remove the cover and stir it again. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. (Save 1 cup of pasta for the Online Round 2 Recipe Savory Noodle Pie.) Put the pasta into a serving platter, and pour the ragu over top. Serve immediately, garnished with basil leaves and Parmesan.

PORK RAGU FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Directions: Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Generously season the pork shoulder all over with salt and pepper. Place in the pot fat side down and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, turning until all sides are nicely browned. Transfer to a large plate. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions to the pot. Stir to coat evenly, adding a tablespoon of oil if necessary. Add the garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the garlic has softened. Return the pork shoulder to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the wine, stirring to incorporate. Let it bubble for a minute or so, and then add tomatoes, bay leaves and rosemary. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the pork sausage to the sauce in small pinches. Cover and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, adjusting the heat as needed so the sauce cooks gently. The pork shoulder should be fork-tender. Use tongs to transfer the pork shoulder to a cutting board. Use 2 forks to shred the meat into bite-size pieces, then return it and any accumulated juices to the pot. Reduce the heat to low; cook until the meat is heated through. Taste the ragu and adjust the seasoning with additional salt if necessary. Discard the bay leaves and rosemary before serving or storing.

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.