Braised Pork All'Arrabbiata

 

The recipe comes from the NYT: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020877-braised-pork-allarrabbiata?utm_source=sharetools&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website

This spicy pork shoulder’s long-simmered flavor is one you’ll crave all season long. The browned pork shoulder braises with fire-roasted tomatoes, red wine and basil in the oven until it becomes fork-tender and breaks down into a rich ragù. The red-pepper flakes create a gentle heat, while basil adds sweetness. Serve over polenta or toss with tubed pasta, like penne or rigatoni. If serving with pasta, loosen the sauce with a little pasta cooking water to help the sauce coat the pasta.

Ingredients

• 2 to 2 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of more than 1/4-inch fat
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 ½ teaspoons red-pepper flakes
• 3 (14-ounce) cans fire-roasted crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 cup red wine
• 5 basil sprigs

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the pork all over with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
2. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the pork shoulder and sear until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes to the oil and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes, red wine and basil. Stir to combine, season with salt and lots of black pepper, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Cover, then transfer to the oven and cook until the pork falls apart when prodded with a fork, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
5. Working directly in the pot, use two forks to shred the meat into long bite-size pieces. Stir the pork into the tomato sauce until it’s evenly distributed. Ragù will keep refrigerated for 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.