pork ragu and fettuccine

This is our new favorite, favorite dinner! It barely requires any work, makes our kitchen smell like heaven, and is even better for leftovers.

Salt and pepper the whole pork roast. Heat the butter and olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high just until the butter melts, then add the pork roast and let it brown on each side – 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Once it is browned, add the garlic and onions and sauté just until they are translucent. Add the entire can of tomatoes (with juice), wine, thyme, oregano, hot sauce, mustard powder, and ground coriander. Bring it to a boil then cover and place the pot in a preheated 325 degree F oven.

By the way, do y’all ever use the mini bottles of wine for cooking? They’re about 7 oz (which is close enough to a cup!) and sometimes I don’t want to open a whole bottle (much less a nice bottle) to cook with when I am planning to drink something else. I’ve been on a total moscato-mixed-drink tear lately and wanted a sangria with dinner, even though it didn’t go with the pork. What can I say? I’ve always had weird cravings, and Whitney learned early on that there is no talking me out of something when I feel like eating or drinking it.

So once the pork is in the oven, braise it for 3-4 hours, turning the meat every hour. In the last hour or so, it should be hard to turn because the meat should be falling apart. Once it is really tender, use two forks to pull it apart (like the chicken tacos) then stir the sauce into the meat, coating all of it.

Stir in cayenne and balsamic vinegar (for a little extra heat and depth), then serve over fettuccine.

Pork Ragu and Fettuccine
(adapted from Dinner: A Love Story)

2 to 2 1/2-pound boneless pork shoulder roast
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 large can whole san marzano tomatoes
1 c red wine
5 sprigs fresh thyme
5 sprigs fresh oregano
1 tbsp. hot sauce
1/4 tsp. mustard powder
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. cayenne
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Fettuccine, for serving

Salt and pepper the whole pork roast. Heat the butter and olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high just until the butter melts, then add the pork roast and let it brown on each side – 2 to 3 minutes per side. Once it is browned, add the garlic and onions and sauté just until they are translucent. Add the entire can of tomatoes (with juice), wine, thyme, oregano, hot sauce, mustard powder, and ground coriander. Bring it to a boil then cover and place the pot in a preheated 325 degree F oven.

Braise for 3-4 hours, turning the meat every hour. The meat should be falling apart. Use two forks to pull it apart, like the chicken tacos, then stir the sauce into the meat, coating all of it. Stir in cayenne and balsamic vinegar, then serve over fettuccine.