Pork Ragu

The New York Times had a recipe for a Pork Ragu. We decided to make it. It called for a bone-in pork butt. I tried to buy it and learned some interesting things about pork nomenclature. I assumed (wrongly) that pork shoulder came from the front legs of a pork and pork butt came from the hind legs. Wrong! They are both from the top of the leg, sitting next to each other. The butt can only be found at the top of the pigs front legs, who knew? Here is a link to a good article on it: Porkmap.

This recipe is really great. You simmer the pork meat in broth and then let it cool and then pull the meat off the bone. The meat is then returned to the broth to absorb the flavors and liquid, making it flavorful and moist. The lemon is then added to the pork. Bottom line, this dish is like the best pork burrito meat that you have ever had. It is DELICIOUS! Give it a try!

The Cheat: Ragù How-To

As for the malfatti, it is but a moment’s work to break pieces of boxed lasagna into shards and to cook these exactly as you might dry linguine or shells. Mix everything together, shower with the arugula and cheese and serve. 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. See what you think. Anderer said that when he tasted it for the first time with his staff, everyone started murmuring. “I knew we had a good dish then,” he said. “The general feeling was, ‘Yeah, let’s put it on the menu.’ ” 

Recipe: Pork Ragù al Maialino



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.

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. Serves 4.

Adapted from Nick Anderer at Maialino in New York.