Pork Ragu al Maialino
1 pork shoulder, bone in (Boston Butt)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 med white onion - cut into large pieces
2 ribs celery - cut into large pieces
1 fennel bulb - trimmed and cut into large pieces
1 qut chicken broth or enough to almost cover meat
3 sprigs fresh thyme
freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
16 oz. dry lasagna - broken into 3“ pieces
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp grated grana Padano cheese (Romano or Parmesan can be substituted)
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
arugula or spinach leaves cleaned
Season meat aggressively with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to use, as long as overnight.
Preheat oven to 350F. Place a Dutch oven over med-high heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. When it gently shimmers cook the onion, celery and fennel until they begin to soften, about 10 min. Rinse pork to remove excess salt and add to pot. Add broth and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer.
Cover and place in the oven; cook for 90 min or more until the meat just begins to pull away from the bone and the internal meat temperature exceeds 140 deg.
Allow the meat and broth to cool on the stove top for 30 min., or until you can touch the meat with your hands. Remove the pork and gently pull the meat from the bone, then tear the chunks into bite-size shreds. Place meat in a large bowl.
Strain the liquid and pour enough over the meat to barely cover. Use the remainder for soup. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use, preferably overnight. If the roast is large half the meat and liquid can be saved for another meal.
Add the pork and liquid to a large pot and bring to a boil, lower heat and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the butter and stir to emulsify.
Meanwhile cook the pasta in salted water according to the directions on the package, approx. 10 min. When finished drain and add to meat and sauce. Simmer for 1 min. Then add the lemon juice, half of the cheese, a tablespoon of olive oil, and the parsley. Stir to incorporate.
Serve immediately, topped with the greens and remaining cheese.
Serves: 4 Total cook time: 2hr cook+30min cool+overnight refrigerate
Source: NYT Magazine Oct 3, 2010
recipe/porkragualmaialino.txt · Last modified: 2011/12/11 04:25 (external edit)