Porchetta Style Ragu Recipes

PORCHETTA-STYLE RAGU

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 and toss panic with melted butter and salt and bake for 12 minutes or golden brown.
• Heat water for pasta.
• In dutch oven, heat oil over medium high and add pancetta until fat begins to render. Then add ground pork. Cook until browned lightly. Season with salt, pepper, and add rosemary, garlic, 2 tsp zest, fennel seeds, red pepper. Stir for 3 minutes. Add wine and cook for 5 minutes. Add stock and parm rind. Reduce to low and simmer while cooking pasta.
• Salt water and cook until very al dente. Save some water.
• Discard rind and add a generous handful of grated parm to sauce along with lemon juice and the pasta. Toss and add water as needed. Season with salt.
• Toss crumbs with 2 tsp zest, parsley, and a little parm. Serve pasta with breadcrumbs on top.

STUFFED PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Score the pork belly skin with a sharp knife in a cross pattern. Score down to just before where the skin meets the fat, rather than the fat itself. Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer and add the bicarbonate of soda. Lower the pork into the water, poach gently for 5 mins, then remove it from the water and leave to cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, toast the fennel seeds and chilli flakes in a dry frying pan over a high heat for 1-2 mins, then tip into a bowl and leave to cool. Grind the spices in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar, then mix with 1 tbsp fine sea salt.
• Once the pork has cooled, turn it skin-side down and pierce the underside of the meat all over with a knife. Rub the meat with the spiced salt rub, cover and put it in the fridge for at least 8 hrs or overnight. Can be prepared 24 hours ahead.
• The next day, make your stuffing. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and add the onion and fennel. Season and cook gently over a low heat for 10 mins. Add the coriander seeds and garlic, and cook for another 2 mins, then add the mince. Cook for 8-10 mins until the mince is browned. Set aside and leave to cool.
• Transfer the mince and onion mix to a bowl and add the sourdough, pine nuts, orange zest, apricots, herbs, lemon juice and nutmeg. Season well, then mix together thoroughly with your hands. Add the egg and mix again.
• Lie the pork belly on a board, skin-side down. Form the stuffing into a sausage shape running all the way down the middle of the belly. Wrap the sides of the belly around the stuffing and tie with butcher's string. Place seam-side down in a roasting tin, uncovered, and chill for at least 2 hrs, preferably overnight. You want the skin to dry out completely so that it crisps up when you roast it.
• To cook the pork, remove it from the fridge and leave it for at least 1 hr to come to room temperature before you cook it. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and cook the pork for about 2 hrs, turning the tin every 30 mins or so. After 2 hrs, turn the heat up to 220C/ 200C fan/gas 7 and cook for another 20 mins. When the pork is done, a thermometer pushed into its centre should read 77C. If the skin looks in danger of burning, cover it with foil - but only do this once it has crackled.
• Once the pork has cooked, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 30 mins. When you're ready to carve, put the pork on a big chopping board. Using a sharp knife, slice the meat into rounds.

PORCHETTA RAGU

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat, and fry the diced pork for 5 mins, stirring often until browned. Transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon and set aside. Squeeze the sausagemeat from the skins into the pan, and fry for 2-3 mins until browned. Scoop into the bowl with the diced pork.
• Reduce the heat to low and fry the onion, carrot and celery for 5 mins in the remaining oil. Add the garlic, fennel seeds and chilli flakes and fry for 1 min more. Return the meat to the pan along with the wine. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced by about half. Add the bay, rosemary, thyme, stock, tomato purée and chopped tomatoes, and return to a simmer. Season. Cover and cook over a low heat for 2 hrs 30 mins, or until the pork is falling apart.
• Remove the lid, discard the bay and turn up the heat slightly. Simmer for 5-10 mins, or until slightly reduced, stirring often. Stir in the cream, lemon zest and parsley. Season to taste.
• Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Toss with the ragu, and serve sprinkled with parmesan.