Pork Cheek Ragù Pasta Recipe
Pork Cheek Ragù
This Pork Cheek Ragù has to be my one of my all time favourite pasta recipes!
Being in Australia we are lucky to have beautiful Australian pork cheek. Combine that with the very best wine and fresh local produce and you get a dish which is out of this world!
This recipe is even better the next day on some toast, when the flavours have permeated every molecule of the sauce. Why don’t you try this at your next dinner party and impress your guests.
Pork Cheek Ragù
Author: The Chef
Ingredients
- 800g pork cheeks
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1 large red capsicum, diced
- 1 jar kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 bottle of tomato passata
- 1 tin diced tomatoes
- Bay leaf
- Some olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Some fresh basil leaves
- Parmigiano-Reggiano for grating
- 1 Packet Pasta, Rigatoni or Shciaffoni works best
Method
- Trim any excess fat off the pork, but don't trim it all off. Generously salt and pepper both sides.
- Heat a medium heavy based pot until hot.
- Add the pork, fat side down and fry undisturbed until browned. Flip, then brown the other side. You may have to do this in 2 batches.
- Turn down the heat and transfer the pork to a plate and add the onion, capsicum, olives and the garlic to the pan. Scrape the brown fond off the bottom of the pan and fry until soft and fragrant.
- Deglaze the pan with the wine and turn up the heat and boiling until the mixture is a thick consistency.
- Add the tin tomatoes, passata and bay leaf stirring to combine.
- Return the pork with the collected juices back into the pot. Submerge the meat in the sauce, turn the heat down to low and partially cover with a lid.
- Simmer for 2-3 hours or until the meat comes apart easily with a fork. Skim off any excess fat with a spoon then remove the pork from the sauce and roughly chop or pull apart the meat then return it to the sauce. Set this aside
- Place a large pot of salted water on high heat and bring to the boil.
- Place the pasta in the hot water and cook as instructed on the packet (this will differ between dried pasta and fresh pasta varieties).
- When the pasta is cooked and strained, put the cooked pasta in a bowl with some sauce and toss to combine.
- Serve the Ragù topped with a little extra sauce, fresh basil and some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
