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Bon Appétit

Pork Ragù Over Creamy Polenta

4.1

(176)

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Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott

Leftover sauce? Bring a pot of water to boil: It’s pasta night.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    8 Servings

Ingredients

Pork

3

pounds skinless, boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 3 pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1

tablespoon vegetable oil

1

large onion, finely chopped

6

garlic cloves, finely chopped

2

tablespoons tomato paste

½

cup full-bodied red wine

1

28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

4

sprigs thyme

2

sprigs rosemary

2

bay leaves

polenta and assembly

Kosher salt

1½

cups coarse polenta (not quick-cooking)

¼

cup unsalted butter

½

cup grated Parmesan (from about 2 ounces), plus more for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

½

cup chopped fresh parsley

Olive oil (for drizzling)

Preparation

  1. Pork

    Step 1

    Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium. Cook pork, turning often, until evenly browned, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a platter and pour off pan drippings.

    Step 2

    Wipe out any burned bits from pot, but leave the golden-brown pieces (doing this will keep the finished sauce from tasting bitter). Add onion and garlic to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to brown and caramelize, 12–15 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly darkened in color, 5–8 minutes.

    Step 3

    Add wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced by about half, 5–8 minutes.

    Step 4

    Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you go, then add thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves; stir in 2 cups water. Add pork with any juices accumulated on the platter; season with salt and pepper.

    Step 5

    Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until pork is falling-apart tender, sauce is thickened (it will be thicker than a typical pasta sauce), and flavors have melded, 2½–3 hours.

    Step 6

    Using 2 forks, break up pork into pieces or shred it (your choice!); taste and season with salt and pepper.

    Step 7

    Pork can be cooked 5 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill in sauce.

  2. Polenta and assembly

    Step 8

    Bring 6 cups salted water to a boil in a large pot. Whisking constantly, gradually add polenta; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, whisking often, until polenta is tender and creamy, 20–25 minutes (if polenta becomes too thick too soon, loosen mixture by adding more water and continue cooking). Add butter and ½ cup Parmesan to polenta and whisk until melted; season with salt and pepper.

    Step 9

    Spoon polenta into bowls or onto a platter and top with pork. Scatter parsley and more Parmesan over top and drizzle with oil.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 580 Fat (g) 33 Saturated Fat (g) 14 Cholesterol (mg) 150 Carbohydrates (g) 28 Dietary Fiber (g) 3 Total Sugars (g) 4 Protein (g) 38 Sodium (mg) 390
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Reviews (176)

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  • Honestly, we didn’t love it. I really thought it was going to be amazing as I pulled the pork apart, but it was just okay. I felt like all the parts (tomato, pork, polenta) didn’t add up to something greater when combined. Going to try the leftovers on some pappardelle tomorrow, maybe a turn in the fridge is what it needs.

    • Alohalife

    • Austin TX

    • 1/21/2024

  • This is excellent. Made it on a weekend, the work up-front is well worth the wait, and it’s enjoyable cooking rather than laborious. The pay-off is a deep, rich ragu which is way more complex in flavour than the short list of ingredients suggests. Made this exactly as stated in the recipe, enjoyed with polenta, and as leftovers with pappardelle - one of my top 5 now, and definitely a go-to if trying to impress guests!

    • Paul White

    • Glasgow, Scotland

    • 6/1/2022

  • Made the ragu to have with pasta and it was excellent. I like to start all ragu's with a mirepoix, so I added one large diced carrot and 2 stalks of celery to the the onion/garlic mixture. I also used 1 cup of chicken stock and 1 cup of water. Followed the rest of the recipe as is. It makes a lot -- we used half with 18oz of fresh fettucine for dinner + lunch for 3 people, and I have the other half of the sauce in the freezer for a rainy day.

    • Rebecca

    • Chicago

    • 3/15/2021

  • This recipe is insanely delicious! I used beef short ribs, added spinach, scallions, and shiitake mushrooms. Agreed with other commenters, the cook times besides meat were way too long, so expect it to be a much shorter process!

    • Brenda

    • New Jersey

    • 3/13/2021

  • This dish whips. I did find all of the cook times (aside from the 2.5-3 hours for the shoulder to cook) to far too long.

    • Andrew L.

    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 12/17/2020

  • Love this! Made per the recipe. Makes a lot - too much for my small family - so I put some of the pork in the freezer. Pull it out a few weeks later, made a fresh batch of polenta and YUM!! Will definitely do this again.

    • Barb

    • Tampa, FL

    • 12/9/2020

  • Amazing recipe. It is not difficult, or expensive, and the ragu is better made a day or two ahead of time which makes it great for casual entertaining. This has quickly become my family’s favorite recipe for special days. It is very rich so needs a simple lemony salad or vegetable as a side. Best served in wide shallow bowls- it is too messy for a plate.

    • Anonymous

    • Texas

    • 11/20/2020