Pork and Lamb Ragu

 
 

I made this lamb and pork ragu for a pop-up dinner a couple of months ago, and it was a smashing hit. Since then, we’ve adapted it to accommodate about four to six hungry people. The recipe also calls for about a third of a cup of pancetta: try not to skip this step as it adds the extra bump of fatty, salty depth that makes this recipe the only meat sauce you’ll ever really need.  — Ju


 
 
 

Ingredients

  • Olive oil

  • 2 carrots, finely diced

  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced

  • 1 ½ cups of onion

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely shaved or minced

  • 8 oz ground pork

  • 8 oz ground lamb

  • 3 oz finely chopped pancetta

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 1 ½ cup stock (beef, chicken or vegetable)

  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste

  • 1 28 oz can Whole, peeled tomatoes

  • ½ cup dry red wine

  • 3 Tbsp butter optional

  • Salt to taste

 

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium, saute the carrots, onion and celery until caramelized and onions are translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add a liberal pinch of salt.

  2. Add pork, lamb, pancetta and minced garlic to the pot and stir, breaking up bigger pieces of meat, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add another pinch of salt here.

  3. Pour in milk, stock and dry red wine, stir. Add the tomato paste, can of tomatoes and stir. Taste the sauce at this point for salt level and remember, the flavors will intensify as the sauce simmers for the next 60 minutes.

  4. Bring the sauce up to a boil then reduce to medium-low; allow the sauce to gently simmer for at least an hour, up to two hours or longer. The more reduced it becomes, the more flavor it will have.

  5. When the sauce is done, stir in the butter. Once melted, toss with your noodle of choice to coat. Top with finely grated parmesan and flake salt.