Then this is the recipe for you.
I recently stumbled upon this recipe idea on a food blog I follow, Dinner A Love Story. It sounded right up M’s alley – braised meat. And by braised meat I mean heaven in a bowl.
This is the perfect dish for company. It feeds a lot. (Bonus, it’s quite a cost effective cut of meat). The flavor is amazing – you know it’s good when you can actually SEE flavor in your pot! And lastly, it makes your home smell insanely delicious. Your company will feel appreciated the second they step their toes in your home. What a perfect welcome.
I can’t say enough good things about this recipe, so please just make it. The original recipe calls for a bit less of a portion, but I went all out and upped the meat to 3 pounds. Good thing I did, since M consumed 3 bowls. We also had enough for next night’s dinner and ended up putting the meat on kaiser rolls for sandwiches. I love recipes that can stretch!
A few notes about this recipe. Always use fresh herbs, good red wine, and for the pasta I recommend ‘Mrs. Miller’s’ old fashion homemade wide noodles. I found them at Fresh Market and they really stand up to hearty sauce. Along the side I served a mixed green salad with a sweeter vinagrette (dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, olive oil, and a touch of honey). We also enjoyed the rest of the bottle of red that I braised the meat in. An absolutely lovely ‘no fuss’ cozy dinner party menu. Done.
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
- salt & pepper
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1 TBS butter
- 1 and 1/2 large can whole tomatoes, with juice
- 1 and 1/2 cup good red wine
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 sprigs fresh oregano
- small handful fennel seeds
- 1 TBS hot sauce, for smokiness
- pappardelle pasta
- handful of chopped fresh parsley
- freshly grated parmesan
- Preheat over to 325 degrees.
- Liberally salt and pepper the pork roast. Add olive oil and butter to a large Dutch oven and heat over medium heat until butter melts. Add pork roast to pan and brown on each side, about 8 minutes in all. Add tomatoes, wine, thyme, oregano, fennel seeds, and hot sauce and bring to a boil. Cover and put in the oven to braise for 3 and 1/2 hours. Set your timer hourly to rotate the roast and make sure there are enough liquids in the dutch oven. The liquids should come to about 1/3 of the way up the pork. If more are needed, add in water, more tomato sauce or red wine.
- After 3 1/2 hours remove from oven. Shred the meat using two forks - it will easily fall apart for you. Cook enough pappardelle pasta for your guests. To serve, fill deep bowls with pasta and top with the ragu. Sprinkle fresh parmesan and parsley on top.
Hope a comfy pillow is waiting nearby,
Courtney