Spaghetti with Pork Ragu

Recipe thanks to Curtis Di Fede of The Charter Oak

Serves 6

Ragu:
1kg-pork shoulder ground
20g salt
1 ½ fine-diced yellow onion
1 bulb fine-diced garlic
1 bulb fine-diced fennel
12oz can of organic chopped tomato
3 cups dry white wine
8 cups chicken or pork stock
Parmigiano-Reggiano

FOR THE RAGU: In a bowl, combine the ground pork shoulder with the 20g of salt and mix thoroughly until the ground pork becomes sticky. Transfer into a container and refrigerate. After 12 hours, roll the pork into the shape of large meatballs. In a rondeau or stockpot, cook the rolled pork over medium to high heat until all sides are browned, working in batches to allow plenty of surface area. The brown glaze that forms on the bottom of the pan (the ‘fond’) is desirable and will flavor the sauce later, but adjust the heat to ensure it doesn’t burn.

When all the pork has been browned, turn down the heat to medium and add the vegetables over top of the meat. Do not stir. The remaining moisture of the meat will steam the vegetables until they are translucent in about 25 minutes. Use a wooden spoon and the liquid that has collected to scrape the brown fond loose from the bottom of the pan. As the remaining liquid evaporates, the meat will again begin to brown and build a fond on the bottom of the pan. When nearly all the moisture is gone, add the wine and scrape up the fond a second time.

When the wine has reduced by three-quarters, add the tomato and chicken or pork stock. Bring the sauce to a simmer and, with a wooden spoon, again scrape the bottom of the pan to ensure that you remove any remaining fond (if any is left there is a high risk of burning the ragu). Simmer for approximately 2½ hours – enough time for the collagen the meat to break down and enrich the sauce.

When finished, use a potato masher to break apart the meatballs, looking for a Bolognese consistency. Allow to cool, transfer to a container and put the sauce in the refrigerator to rest overnight.

TO FINISH: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Add the cold ragu to a separate pan over low to medium heat and let the ragu melt like butter. Do not add any water to speed up the process. Drop the Garganelli into the boiling salted water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Strain the pasta from the water and add it to the pan with the melted ragu. Stir until incorporated and serve in a large pasta bowl. Grate fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Bon appitio!!