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Pork Ragù al Maialino

This is true restaurant cooking for the home: a recipe born of a professional kitchen’s need to use up leftovers, then cheated upon to strike away extravagances like suckling pigs, fresh-made pasta and veal stock. A common and inexpensive pork shoulder and a few extra pats of butter will do the trick nicely.

Ingredients

  • 1 pork shoulder, bone in, roughly 4 pounds
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion, peeled and cut into large pieces
  • 1 rib celery, cut into large pieces
  • 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into large pieces
  • 1 quart chicken stock (or enough to almost cover the pork)
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 9-ounce boxes dry lasagna, broken into 3-inch shards
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons grated grana Padano cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • Small handful arugula leaves, cleaned
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

      1564 calories; 113 grams fat; 41 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 50 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 96 grams protein; 382 milligrams cholesterol; 1897 milligrams sodium

      • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

Serves 4

Preparation

  1. Using a sharp knife, remove the thick skin from the pork, leaving a sheen of fat on top of the meat. Season aggressively with salt and place in the refrigerator until ready to use, as long as overnight.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a deep saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When it shimmers, gently cook the onion, celery and fennel until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and thyme and bring to a simmer, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Rinse pork to remove excess salt, dry with a paper towel and add to seasoned broth. Cover and place in the oven for 90 minutes or more, until the meat just begins to pull away from the bone.
  3. Allow both meat and broth to cool on the stove top for 30 minutes, 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 these in a large bowl.
  4. Strain the liquid into a separate bowl and then pour enough of it over the meat to barely cover. (Use the rest for soup.) Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  5. Put a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil.
  6. Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the pork and braising liquid. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the butter and stir to emulsify.
  7. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water according to the directions on the package, 10 to 12 minutes. When it is finished, drain and add to the sauce along with a splash of pasta water. Simmer for 1 minute, then add the lemon juice, half of the cheese, a tablespoon of olive oil and the parsley. Stir to incorporate.
  8. Serve immediately, topped with arugula and the remaining cheese.

2 hours 45 minutes

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