PORK RIB RAGU

DEEPLY MEATY AND SATIFYING RED SAUCE

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Ragu is often the choice sauce for thick and hearty fresh pastas like gnocchi, fettucine, or tagliatelle given its equally hearty flavor and creamy texture that will cling to pasta of any kind. It can be made with many different meats cooked in red sauce, but this recipe will focus on Nonna’s classic which was made with pork ribs. My favorite way to have Ragu is in the winter months, with fresh pasta, red wine, and a crisp arugula salad with radicchio and plenty of Parmesan. Take a beautiful winter day to get together with friends or family and make some fresh pasta while the Ragu gently simmers in the background. Around 2-3 hours of cooking will make the ribs fall off the bone and liquefy much of the collagen in the bones to get this sauce to it’s peak flavor and texture. It will carry the whole dish, the fresh pasta is just there to provide tender texture and a vehicle for the sauce. Pick a dry red to accompany the meal and you will not be disappointed.

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INGREDIENTS:

1	14 oz can of peeled tomatoes (Alternatively 6-7 fresh Roma tomatoes)
1/2	Rack of Pork Ribs or equal amount of bone-in pork
1/2	Large Onion
3	Garlic cloves
1	Small Carrot (Optional)
1-2	Sprigs of fresth basil
1 tsp	Sea Salt
1/8 tsp	Black Pepper
1/4 cup	Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup	White or Red Wine
1/2 cup	Chicken Stock

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FLAVOR NOTES:

Spice in this case is the strength of the garlic and basil. This sauce should have a deep flavor, with plenty of umami, and sweeter profile from its longer boil.

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INSTRUCTIONS:

• Dice onion, mince garlic, and chop carrot into large 2-3in long chunks
• Process peeled tomatoes with a food mill, immersion blender, or food processor (tomato puree can also work but watch out for pureed tomatoes that are already seasoned). Some people find the tomato seeds to be bitter and not ideal, in that case you can strain the sauce to make a ‘passata’ that will have no tomato peel or seeds in it.
• Fry the onion and garlic in medium heat in a 4qt sauce pan or pot, using half of the olive oil until fragrant.
• Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper on the pork ribs then add to the oil and fry until edges start to brown.
• Once things have started to caramelize add the wine, and let the alcohol evaporate a bit while stirring; then cover the pot. Allow ribs to cook until you see a nice milky-white stock all along the bottom of the pot and a strong smell of those pork juices permeates.
• Add tomato, stock, remaining salt, pepper, olive oil, carrots, and basil. Bring to a boil slowly while stirring ingredients and making sure the bottom of the pot doesn’t charr the tomato.
• Once boiling turn heat to low and cap with a lid to simmer for 2-3 hours or until ribs are very tender and fall off the bone.