Pork Ragu – Pressure Cooker Style
In Italian cuisine, a ragu is a meat-based sauce that is commonly served with pasta. This recipe uses country style pork ribs. Typically, this type of ragu would take a couple of hours to simmer (or slow roast in the oven) so that the meat becomes fall-apart tender. With a pressure cooker the time is cut back in less than an hour! The sauce is rich in tomato flavor and this is a comforting meal. If you don't own a pressure cooker, you can adapt this stove top style-- you just have to let it simmer a lot longer!
Servings 4
Calories 329kcal
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds country-style pork ribs boneless, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 28 ounces
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
Instructions
- Pat pork dry with paper towels and seasons with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in pressure-cooker pot over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of pork and brown lightly on all sides, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in onion and cook until onion is softened and pork is well browned, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, tomato paste, oregano and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes, broth and remaining pork.
- HIGH PRESSURE cook for 20 minutes: Lock pressure cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure over medium-high heat. As soon as pot reaches high pressure, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain high pressure.
- Remove pot from heat and allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure, then carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
- Before serving, using large spoon, skim excess fat from surface of sauce. Break meat into bite-size pieces with spoon. Bring sauce to simmer over medium-high heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve over a short tubular pasta such as penne, rigatoni or ziti. Better yet, we love it served over polenta.
- Sauce freezes well.
Notes
Recipe source: "Pressure Cooker Perfection"