Pork Ragu
Pork Ragu is a delicious Italian meat sauce, made by slow cooking a pork shoulder in a red wine tomato sauce, filled with delicious Italian herbs, vegetables and garlic. It's so easy to make in a slow cooker and perfect paired with pasta or served over creamy polenta!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork shoulder cut into 4 large pieces
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 cup carrot diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon oregano or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, dried
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 15 ounce diced tomatoes canned
- 3 bay leaf
- 3 prigs rosemary fresh
- 12 ounces pappardelle pasta or polenta, for serving
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated – optional topping
Instructions
- Season the pieces of pork on all sides with the salt and pepper.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven on the stove over medium high heat.
- Add the pork and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the pork from the pot and place in a slow cooker.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot.
- Add the diced onion, carrots and celery, cook for 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic and oregano and cook for an additional minute.
- Once the vegetables are tender, add the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine and beef broth.
- Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then transfer to the slow cooker with the pork.
- Add the can of diced tomatoes to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Add the bay leaves and sprigs of rosemary.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Use tongs to remove the bay leaf and rosemary sprig.
- Reach two forks in the slow cooker to shred the pork.
- Serve the pork ragu over pasta or polenta, and grate fresh parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
To make the pork ragu in the oven:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Follow steps 1-8 above, searing the pork in an oven-safe pot or dutch oven, then setting it aside instead of transferring it to a slow cooker. After you've added the red wine and beef broth to the pot, add the can of diced tomatoes, then add the seared pork back to the pot. Add the rosemary sprigs and bay leaves. Place a tight-fitting lid on the dutch oven, or if you do not have a lid, cover tightly with foil. Remove from the stove and place in the preheated 350°F oven for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove from the oven. Use tongs to remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaves. Shred the pork directly in the pot with two forks, or remove the pieces of pork from the pot, use meat claws to shred the pork, then add it back to the pot and serve.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Follow steps 1-8 above, searing the pork in an oven-safe pot or dutch oven, then setting it aside instead of transferring it to a slow cooker.
- After you've added the red wine and beef broth to the pot, add the can of diced tomatoes, then add the seared pork back to the pot. Add the rosemary sprigs and bay leaves.
- Place a tight-fitting lid on the dutch oven, or if you do not have a lid, cover tightly with foil.
- Remove from the stove and place in the preheated 350°F oven for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, remove from the oven. Use tongs to remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaves. Shred the pork directly in the pot with two forks, or remove the pieces of pork from the pot, use meat claws to shred the pork, then add it back to the pot and serve.
- For the pork – a pork shoulder might also be labeled as a pork butt at the grocery store. I’ve also made this recipe with a pork tenderloin. It’s leaner than the pork shoulder, so there’s less fat and calories, but also less flavor than a pork shoulder. Feel free to use either one, the results are delicious with either!
- Store any leftover pork ragu in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 6 days.
- To reheat, transfer the ragu to a pot on the stove over medium-high heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through. Or heat the ragu in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
- This pork ragu can be frozen for up to 3 months. To defrost, I recommend transferring the ragu from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight.
- To reheat from frozen, place the ragu in a dutch oven on the stove, covered, set to low for one hour. You can also reheat the ragu in a slow cooker set to low for 1-2 hours.
- The sauce can easily be thickened on the stovetop. Simply transfer the ragu from the slow cooker to a dutch oven or large pot on the stove over medium high heat. Allow the ragu to simmer and reduce, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. You can also omit 1 cup of the beef broth to make a thicker sauce in the slow cooker.
- The red wine can simply be omitted in this recipe or replaced with white grape juice. I’ve made this ragu before without the wine and it was still totally delicious!
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 217
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 6serving | |
| Calories | 217kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 12g | 4% |
| Protein | 17g | 34% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Cholesterol | 46mg | 15% |
| Sodium | 1236mg | 52% |
| Potassium | 755mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 3138mg | 63% |
| Vitamin C | 14mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 72mg | 7% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.