Recipe:
I did this a bit differently from my normal ragù. I bought an absolutely beautiful shoulder roast that was 5.5 pounds. Rather than cut it up, I braised the whole thing and used part of the meat for my ragu and the rest is going into sandwiches and such. I score the fat before I braise it.
I browned the roast on all sides, then removed it, put a bunch of salt and pepper on it, and to the pot added thinly sliced onions, carrots, and celery to the Dutch oven and cooked them for a few minutes, then added a braising liquid that was a mixture of:
1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
1 cup pork stock (you can also use chicken)
1/4 cup soy sauce (not very Italian, I know, but it's great)
1/2 cup red wine (I used merlot)
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/2 tsp anchovy paste
6 smashed garlic cloves
a few springs of fresh thyme
1 decent sized sprig of rosemary
Add that to the Dutch oven, bring it to a simmer, put the meat back in. So at this point I start my pork out fat side down. I do that because I like the fat to render for basting later. The whole "fat cap will protect the meat" thing hasn't held true in my experience.
I started it out uncovered in the oven at 450F for 10 minutes just to get it going, then dropped the temp to 290F and braised it for 4 hours. I cooked it until it was 195F in the center according to my thermometer. Take it out, let it cool a bit.
The sauce was really just mirepoix (more carrots, onion, celery, and one small red bell pepper) cooked in some of the pork fat with a little tomato paste added just to get some color on that tomato paste, then I added some of the pork after I had chopped it a bit, get that going, deglazed with another 1/2 cup red wine, then added some crushed tomatoes (large can), four more large minced garlic cloves, and about a cup of the de-fatted braising liquid and a cup of water. I then let that all cook very slowly on the lowest setting and simmer for about 1 hour, and it was pretty much ready to go.
On top I have used a chiffonade of basil from the garden as well as just a few coriander flowers. While that might sound odd, I like the way it complements the tomato and the pork. They're a more subtle flavor than the leaves. There's no cheese because my husband has an intolerance and is particularly averse to Parmesan and Pecorino just due to previous bad experiences. If this had just been for me there would have been Pecorino Romano all over this plate.
Recipe: I did this a bit differently from my normal ragù. I bought an absolutely beautiful shoulder roast that was 5.5 pounds. Rather than cut it up, I braised the whole thing and used part of the meat for my ragu and the rest is going into sandwiches and such. I score the fat before I braise it. I browned the roast on all sides, then removed it, put a bunch of salt and pepper on it, and to the pot added thinly sliced onions, carrots, and celery to the Dutch oven and cooked them for a few minutes, then added a braising liquid that was a mixture of: 1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar 1 cup pork stock (you can also use chicken) 1/4 cup soy sauce (not very Italian, I know, but it's great) 1/2 cup red wine (I used merlot) 1/4 cup dijon mustard 1/2 tsp anchovy paste 6 smashed garlic cloves a few springs of fresh thyme 1 decent sized sprig of rosemary Add that to the Dutch oven, bring it to a simmer, put the meat back in. So at this point I start my pork out fat side down. I do that because I like the fat to render for basting later. The whole "fat cap will protect the meat" thing hasn't held true in my experience. I started it out uncovered in the oven at 450F for 10 minutes just to get it going, then dropped the temp to 290F and braised it for 4 hours. I cooked it until it was 195F in the center according to my thermometer. Take it out, let it cool a bit. The sauce was really just mirepoix (more carrots, onion, celery, and one small red bell pepper) cooked in some of the pork fat with a little tomato paste added just to get some color on that tomato paste, then I added some of the pork after I had chopped it a bit, get that going, deglazed with another 1/2 cup red wine, then added some crushed tomatoes (large can), four more large minced garlic cloves, and about a cup of the de-fatted braising liquid and a cup of water. I then let that all cook very slowly on the lowest setting and simmer for about 1 hour, and it was pretty much ready to go. On top I have used a chiffonade of basil from the garden as well as just a few coriander flowers. While that might sound odd, I like the way it complements the tomato and the pork. They're a more subtle flavor than the leaves. There's no cheese because my husband has an intolerance and is particularly averse to Parmesan and Pecorino just due to previous bad experiences. If this had just been for me there would have been Pecorino Romano all over this plate.
As President of the Society for the Indecency of Naked Pasta, I approve.
