Braised Pork All’Arrabbiata

By Ali Slagle

Published Feb. 13, 2020

Braised Pork All’Arrabbiata
Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
3½ hours
Rating
4(3,057)
Comments
Read comments

This spicy pork shoulder’s long-simmered flavor is one you’ll crave all season long. The browned pork shoulder braises with fire-roasted tomatoes, red wine and basil in the oven until it becomes fork-tender and breaks down into a rich ragù. The red-pepper flakes create a gentle heat, while basil adds sweetness. Serve over polenta or toss with tubed pasta, like penne or rigatoni. If serving with pasta, loosen the sauce with a little pasta cooking water to help the sauce coat the pasta.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings (about 7 cups)
  • 2 to 2½pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of more than ¼-inch fat
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 10garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 1½teaspoons red-pepper flakes
  • 3(14-ounce) cans fire-roasted crushed or diced tomatoes
  • 1cup red wine
  • 5basil sprigs
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

388 calories; 27 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 733 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the pork all over with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

  2. Step 2

    In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the pork shoulder and sear until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes to the oil and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes, red wine and basil. Stir to combine, season with salt and lots of black pepper, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

  4. Step 4

    Cover, then transfer to the oven and cook until the pork falls apart when prodded with a fork, 2½ to 3 hours.

  5. Step 5

    Working directly in the pot, use two forks to shred the meat into long bite-size pieces. Stir the pork into the tomato sauce until it’s evenly distributed. Ragù will keep refrigerated for 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
3,057 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Sadie Sugars

could i do this in a slow cooker?

Paulo

For an English cook - does the “fire roast” thing make any difference over plain old tinned tomatoes? Not a term I’ve come across here and not a product available on Amazon UK

sscharf

How about suggestions for how to do this in an insta-pot?

Kate C

I only had two cans of whole tomatoes and a jar of roasted red peppers. I put them all in the blender together before adding to the Dutch oven. Smells good so far.

LeCheffre

Made last night, rave review from wife and self. Two small adjustments as mileage will vary. 1- I increased the chili flake from 1.5 tsp to 2, and upped the ante with Dark and Smoky from Flat Iron Pepper Company, a blend of chipotle, ancho and habanero. Some like it hot and they don’t know how much til they fry. ;-) 2- I added a good squeeze of tomato paste, as some comments wanted to up the umami. Added before the garlic and peppers, and browned it a bit. I started with a “coppa roast” which I browned on all sides and then thought to myself, this will not cook in 3 hours, so I pulled it from the pot and cubed it into 2-3” cubes. The recipe wasn’t clear on the format of the pork shoulder, but I’ve cooked enough of them to get how they work. I checked at 2.5 hours and it pulled but it didn’t shred easy. Gave it another 15 minutes at it practically pulled itself. Probe tender is the phrase. I should have cubed first, to get more Maillard flavor. I could see giving it a tsp of fish sauce when pulling it to bump the umami a bit more.

ruthblue

I make my own roasted plum or Roma tomatoes any time I make tomato soup. I slice them in half lengthwise, season with salt and aleppo pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Then I roast them on a foil-lined pan at 325F for at least 30 minutes--they do char AND they get nicely jammy, which is a win-win. No broiling required.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.