Pork Shoulder Ragù with Crackling Pangrattato

Ingredients

• 1kg Boneless Pork Shoulder, skin removed and reserved
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Large Onion, finely diced
• 2 Carrots, finely diced
• 2 Celery Stalks, finely diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Tomato Purée
• 150ml Dry White Wine
• 400g Canned Chopped Tomatoes
• 300ml Chicken Stock
• 2 Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
• 2 Fresh Thyme Sprigs
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 500g Pappardelle or Tagliatelle
• 50g Fresh Breadcrumbs
• 1 Lemon, zest only
• 15g Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
• 40g Parmesan, finely grated
• Sea Salt, to taste
• Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Pat the pork shoulder dry and season generously with salt and black pepper.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole over medium-high heat and brown the pork thoroughly on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
4. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for 8–10 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
5. Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for another 2 minutes.
6. Pour in the white wine and simmer for 3–4 minutes, scraping up the caramelised bits from the base of the casserole.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves, then return the pork to the casserole.
8. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid, and transfer to the oven.
9. Braise for about 2½ hours until the pork is very tender and can be easily pulled apart with two forks.
10. Meanwhile, pat the reserved pork skin completely dry, season with salt, and place it on a baking tray.
11. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C once the pork has finished braising and roast the skin for 20–25 minutes until crisp and blistered.
12. Remove the braised pork from the casserole and shred it into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat.
13. Remove the herb stems and bay leaves from the sauce, then return the shredded pork to the casserole and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the ragù is rich and thick.
14. Break the crisp pork crackling into small pieces and finely chop or crush it.
15. Toast the breadcrumbs in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until golden.
16. Combine the toasted breadcrumbs with the crushed crackling, lemon zest, parsley, and half of the Parmesan to make the pangrattato.
17. Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions until al dente, reserving a little pasta water before draining.
18. Toss the pasta through the pork ragù, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
19. Divide between warm bowls and finish generously with the crackling pangrattato and remaining Parmesan.

instructions_source: editorial-classic