One-Pot Braised Pork Ragù

By Kay Chun

Published Dec. 31, 2022

One-Pot Braised Pork Ragù
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Rating
4(1,363)
Comments
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This vegetable-heavy baked ragù is a great way to stretch one pound of meat into a hearty pasta sauce. There’s only about 15 minutes of active work; the oven does the rest. Pork shoulder (also known as picnic shoulder) is a relatively inexpensive cut of pork that takes well to braising, which yields super flavorful and tender meat. Cubing it into small pieces helps it soften faster, while a little heavy cream helps tenderize the meat as it cooks. The versatile ragù can be served over pasta or polenta, and leftovers easily turn into craveable sandwiches the next day. The recipe is easily doubled and freezes extremely well, if you’d like to cook once and eat twice.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1pound pork shoulder, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
  • 3medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped (1½ cups)
  • 1medium yellow onion, diced into small pieces (1½ cups)
  • 5garlic cloves, minced
  • 2tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1(28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
  • 1fresh rosemary sprig
  • 2fresh basil sprigs, plus chopped leaves for garnish
  • ¼cup heavy cream
  • Cooked pasta or polenta, for serving
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

630 calories; 41 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 28 grams protein; 1167 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.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 450 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Add half of the pork to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 3 minutes; using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the pork to a plate. Repeat with the remaining pork and season with salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Reduce heat to medium-low and add carrots, onions and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, then add tomato paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and cook, stirring continuously, until lightly caramelized, 3 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Add pork and any accumulated juices, then the tomatoes and their juices, crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you add them. Stir in the rosemary, basil sprigs, cream and 2 cups of water; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high, cover and bake until pork is tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Discard rosemary and basil sprigs.

  5. Step 5

    Serve pork ragù over pasta or polenta. Top with some cheese and chopped basil.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,363 user ratings
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Comments

Name Deborah

I share the opinion that 450 degrees seems really high for a braise. I’m guessing that the author, Kay Chun, wanted to make this into a faster recipe that could be considered for a weeknight dinner, but I personally would opt for cooking it longer at a much lower temperature, say 300 degrees, or in a slow cooker on medium or high for 4 hours or until done. It would be helpful when the directions are so obviously strange if the author could give a rationale (and alternatives).

Tom

This is great. Many of the negative comments are both laughably pretentious and fundamentally incorrect. This absolutely results in a rich, stew-like sauce. As this is clearly intended to be a faster recipe than a day-long braise, there are going to be some tradeoffs in the process! The results are nevertheless satisfying. I'm guessing that some folks didn't follow the recipe with 1/2" cubes (which are quite small)... you're not braising a brisket here.

Julie

I cooked this at 300 for 2.5 hours and pork was tender and not boiled. Very delicious , I would make it again. My hubby loved it.

MamaPom

I made a few modifications. I combined this recipe with the porcini ragu. I cooked all day on low in the crock pot. I added a little fish sauce and WS. I wish I had a little red wine to add. Delicious

Bridget

I followed the advice of other reviewers and cooked at 300 for about 3 hours, and wow, this knocked it out of the park. I also recommend throwing a splash of fish sauce in there while cooking, and I added sauteed mushrooms to the final dish because I am a fungi fiend.

Jona

I followed the directions and put the my dutch oven in the oven at 450 degrees (even thought the temp seemed quite high) for 1.5 hours - burned to a crisp. I should have gone downstairs when it started smelling good. Recipe states "Bring to a boil over high, cover and bake until pork is tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 hour 15 minutes." A little unclear about moving from stovetop to oven. Maybe I'll leave it on low on the stovetop next time?

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