Succulent, tender braised pork cooked slowly with mushrooms, pearl onions, herbs and tomatoes. The French know how to warm up a winter evening with Ragout. The name comes from the French ragoûter, meaning: “to revive the taste”. Enjoy this medley of deliciousness with pasta, couscous, polenta or mashed potatoes.
One of the best things about this recipe is that the flavors only get better when it is made a day ahead and reheated right before service.
Braised Pork Ragout with Mushrooms and Pearl Onions
Equipment
- 1 8 quart Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 4 3/4 pounds pork shoulder
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 l.17 oz each Knorr home-style chicken stock
- 6 ounces portabella mushrooms, chopped
- 16 ounces pearl onions, cooked and peeled
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 8 leaves fresh basil, chopped fine
- 12 fresh thyme sprigs (the entire sprig, not just the leaves)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 14.5 ounce can petite cut tomatoes with juice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Nanami Togaraski (Japanese chili pepper spice available at Asian markets)
- 3 cups Cipriani Tagliardi Pasta available at Fresh Market
- Shaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in a cast iron 8 quart Dutch oven.
- When butter is sizzling, add pork shoulder and sear on both sides until each side is nicely browned.
- Squeeze out the tubs of chicken stock on top of pork and pour 3 cups of water over the pork.
- Add portabella mushrooms, 8 ounces of the pearl onions, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper and Nanami Togaraski to the pork. Stir the liquid around the pork to combine the ingredients. Cover and simmer over medium low heat for 3 hours, turning the pork over in pot after simmering for one hour. Pork is finished cooking when it is fork tender and falls off the bone.
- Remove pork shoulder from pot and place on a large plate or cutting board. Using a fork and sharp knife, remove any fat from pork. Shred the pork and place it back in the pot with the stewed vegetables and broth. Add the remaining pearl onions. Keep warm on the stove.
- Place (oven safe) pasta bowls in 175 degree Fahrenheit oven to warm while pasta is cooking.
- Cook pasta al dente in lightly salted water. Drain. Add pasta to ragout and stir gently to combine.
- Place ragout in warm pasta bowls and garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese.
