Pork shoulder ragu

Name: Pork shoulder ragu
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 130 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 4 servings

Posted: 13/02/2026Updated: 24/06/2026

Braised pork shoulder slow-cooked into a tender ragu with tomatoes, milk and fresh herbs.

Active prep: 20 minutesActive cooking: 40 minutesPassive cooking: 1.5 hours

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Ingredients

Adjust servingsServings

600 grams Pork shoulder
1 medium Brown onion, finely diced
1 large Carrot, finely diced
2 Celery stalks, finely diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Tomato purée (optional)
200 millilitres Dry white wine
400 grams Plum tomatoes, canned
200 millilitres Chicken stock
2 Fresh rosemary sprigs
2 Fresh thyme sprigs
8 Fresh sage leaves
100 millilitres Whole milk
350 grams Pappardelle (or any other pasta)
Parmesan, to finish
2 tablespoons Olive oil
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cut the pork into 2–3 inch chunks and season with salt and pepper.
Heat half the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and sear the pork until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Lower the heat, add the remaining olive oil, and sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until softened (about 8–10 minutes). Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes.
Deglaze the pot with white wine, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly reduced.
Create a bouquet garni with the rosemary and thyme.
Add the plum tomatoes, chicken stock, milk, bouquet garni and sage. Return the pork to the pot and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover and cook on low heat for 1.5-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender and easy to shred. (Alternatively, cook in a pre-heated oven at 150°C for the same time if your pot is ovenproof).
Discard the bouquet garni and set aside the pork. Shred the pork with two forks.
Uncover and cook on medium heat for a final 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning.
Stir the shredded pork back into the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Cook the pappardelle in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, then toss with the ragu.
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Video tutorial

Helpful notes

Cooking tips

If you have a whole pork shoulder, cut into smaller sections about 2-3 inches thick. This will help it sear on more surface area.
Ensure the pork is well-dried with paper towels before searing for better caramelisation. You're not looking to cook the meat here so only sear for a total of a few minutes. If the pork is crowded, surface moisture cannot evaporate quickly enough and browning stalls. Leave visible space between pieces during searing.
After deglazing, simmer until the wine no longer smells alcoholic and has reduced by roughly half. This prevents a sharp acidity in the finished sauce.
Keep the heat low and cook slowly to tenderise the pork and allow the flavours to develop. Only take off the lid when stirring occasionally as otherwise too much heat can be lost.
Pork shoulder becomes properly shreddable once internal temperature reaches roughly 90–95°C and collagen has converted to gelatin. If the meat doesn't shred easily, it is undercooked, not overcooked.
Reducing for longer will concentrate the sweetness naturally. If the tomatoes are still a little sharp, add a pinch of sugar..
Save some pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if it becomes too thick.
Stir in the double cream just before serving to keep the sauce silky and avoid curdling.

Alternative ingredients

Pork shoulder can be substituted with pork cheek, beef chuck, beef short ribs, veal shoulder or lamb shoulder. Adjust the cooking time appropriately.
Swap the dry white wine with dry vermouth, apple cider or more chicken stock.
Fettuccine, tagliatelle and rigatoni work well if you can’t find pappardelle.

Storage instructions

Let the ragu cool to room temperature before storing to prevent condensation and maintain quality. Don't freeze the pasta or store the pasta and ragu together pasta as this can ruin the texture.

Refrigeration: Transfer the ragu to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Freezer: For longer storage, freeze the ragu in airtight containers. It will keep well for up to 3 months.

Re-heating instructions

Defrost the ragu in the fridge overnight, or use the defrost setting on your microwave.

Stove: Re-heat over medium-low heat in a saucepan, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add a splash of chicken stock or pasta water to loosen the sauce if it has thickened too much.

Microwave: Heat in a microwave-safe container, covered, at medium power in 1-minute intervals, stirring between each round until heated through.

Nutrition and dietary facts

Per serving:Calories: 820kcal (36%), Protein: 48g (80%), Fat: 36.9g (46%), Saturated fat: 14g (93%), Carbohydrates: 64.5g (23%), Sugars: 12g (48%), Fibre: 5g (17%)

NOTE: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is an estimate based on ingredients and cooking instructions as described - it is intended for informational purposes only.