Gia’s Sunday Ragu By Carla Lalli Music From “That Sounds So Good”

20 minsPrep Time
4 hrsCook Time

4 hrs 20 minsTotal Time

ingredients

Sunday Ragu

  • 2 Pounds Boneless pork shoulder Cut into 1/2-inch-thick steaks
  • Kosher salt Freshly ground pepper
  • ounce Parmigiano wedge
  • 12 ounces 3 pieces of thinly sliced boneless beef short ribs
  • 1/4 Cup Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 Garlic cloves
  • 1 Yellow Onion
  • 2 Teaspoons Dried oregano
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1/4 Cup Red wine
  • 3 (28-ounce) Cans Whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 Pound Sweet and/or hot Italian sausage links
  • 2 Pounds Rigatoni
  • Crushed red pepper flakes For serving

prep

Season pork shoulder steaks liberally with salt and black pepper; set aside



Cut 6 thin sliced from the wedge of Parmigiano (reserve remainder for serving).



Place the short ribs on a sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper and pound lightly to flatten and spread them out.



Cut each in half crosswise to make 6 cutlets. Season on both sides with salt and black pepper.



Top each with a slice of parm, the tuck in the ends and roll each braciola up, turning them seam side down when done.



Using butcher’s twine, tie each one to secure (not too snugly, since they will bulge a bit when cooked).



Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the braciola and cook, turning occasionally, until dark brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes.



Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.



Working in batches, if necessary, add the pork shoulder steaks to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until very dark brown on both sides and much of the fat has rendered, 14 to 18 minutes (reduce the heat of oil starts to smoke).



Transfer pork to the baking sheet.



Meanwhile, slice garlic and cut onion into small dice.



Add the garlic and onion to the Dutch oven with the drippings; reduce heat to medium.



Cook, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits, until the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.



Add the oregano and bay leaves and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are golden brown at the edges, about 4 minutes.



Add the wine and simmer until the liquid is almost completely reduced and the vegetables are again sizzling in oil, about 5 minutes.



While vegetables are cooking, use a hand blender to puree the canned tomatoes, then add them to the vegetable mixture.



Rinse out each can by filling it halfway with water and swirling it around add this; water to the pot and bring to a simmer.



Cut the rind of your wedge of parm and add the rind to the pot.



Season with salt and black pepper and cook until the sauce is slightly reduced, 25 to 30 minutes.



Return braciola and pork shoulder to the pot, along with any accumulated juices.



Add the sausages. Stir to submerge.



Place a lid slightly ajar on the pot and cook at an unbearably low simmer, stirring every half hour, until the meats are soft enough to feed a toothless baby, 2 ½ to 3 hours.



Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil (figure ¼ cup salt per 6 quarts of water).



Cook rigatoni until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than time indicated on package



Make sure ragu is a gentle simmer.



Discard parm rind. Carefully transfer pork, sausages, and braciola to a platter; snip off the twine on braciola.



Taste sauce and adjust the seasoning.



 Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer rigatoni directly into sauce.



Stir to combine and finish cooking the pasta, adding ladleful’s of pasta cooking liquid as needed to adjust consistency of sauce.



Serve pasta with meats on the side, passing Parmigiano and red pepper flakes at the table.