Smokey Pork Ragu
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 10-12
 
Ingredients
  • For Smokey Pork Ragu:
  • One 4-pound piece of boneless pork shoulder
  • Smoked sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, cut into 1-inch dice
  • 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch dice
  • 1 carrot, cut into 1-inch dice
  • 1 celery rib, cut into 1-inch dice
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3 thyme sprigs
  • ½ cup tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
  • ⅓ cup Champagne vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • For Creamy Polenta:
  • Ingredients
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • Pinch ground white pepper
  • 2 cups polenta
  • ½ cup freshly grated Fontina or Telme
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for dusting
Instructions
  1. For Smokey Pork Ragu:
  2. Preheat the oven to 300°. Season the pork with 1½ tablespoons of smoked salt. In a medium, enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the canola oil until shimmering. Add the pork and cook over moderately high heat, turning, until browned on all sides, 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate.
  3. Add the apple, onion, carrot, celery, garlic and thyme to the casserole and cook over moderate heat until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it deepens in color, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the chicken stock, vinegar and honey and bring to a simmer. Add the pork, cover and transfer the casserole to the oven. Braise the pork for about 3 hours, turning once halfway through, until very tender.
  4. Transfer the pork to a plate. Strain the sauce into a large bowl, gently pressing on the solids. Pour the sauce back into the pot. Using 2 forks, shred the pork; discard any large pieces of fat. Transfer the shredded pork to the sauce and stir in the mascarpone. Season the sauce with smoked salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
  5. For Creamy Polenta:
  6. In a heavy saucepan, combine the stock and milk, and bring to a boil. Add the salt. Whisk in the polenta and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring often, until the grains are soft. Fold in the cheeses. Serve immediately or reserve.
  7. To encourage polenta to come cleanly out of the pan, cook over medium heat. Run a spatula or wooden spoon around the sides of the pan to clean off the polenta. Do not stir, but wait and watch for a few seconds until a large bubble begins to form and pushes the polenta upward. Pour immediately into a warm dish.
  8. The polenta can be made ahead and reheated: add ¼ to ½ cupstock, cover the dish, and reheat over low heat. Whisk well before serving. Grate a dusting of Parmesan over the top just before serving.
Recipe by Eatentions at https://www.eatentions.com/smoky-pork-ragu-with-creamy-polenta/