Braised Pork Cheek Ragu over Pasta

Pork cheeks have a wonderful flavor. In this recipe, the cheeks are braised slowly in a red wine tomato sauce and served atop pasta.

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Braised Pork Cheek Ragu over Pasta

Pork cheeks have a wonderful flavor. In this recipe, the cheeks are braised slowly in a red wine tomato sauce and served atop pasta.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 pork cheeks
• 1 yellow onion, (medium dice)
• 3 Tbsp salted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, (finely minced)
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ cup red wine
• 32 oz tomato puree
• 3 tsp white granulated sugar
• 1 tsp sherry vinegar
• Salt & freshly-ground black pepper, (to taste)
• 12 oz dried fettuccine pasta, (or any dried pasta of choice)
• ¼ cup freshly-grated parmesan cheese, (as garnish)
• 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, ( roughly chopped, as garnish)

Instructions 

• Heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in large, heavy-bottomed saute pan until the oil is smoking hot.
• Salt the pork cheeks.
• Very quickly sear one side of the pork cheeks, for roughly 30-45 seconds, and remove pork from pan and allow to rest.
• Add the onions to the pan where you seared the pork, lower the heat to medium-low and add the salted butter.
• Cook onions for roughly 20 minutes, until they are completely tender. Add the garlic cloves and tomato paste and continue to cook for an additional 15 minutes.
• Add the dried oregano and red wine, and cook until liquid has evaporated.
• Add the tomato puree, white granulated sugar, and pork cheek from earlier.
• Make sure the pork cheeks are submerged in sauce. If you need more liquid, add more tomato puree.
• Cook on low heat, with the sauce barely simmering, for 90-120 minutes, or until the pork cheek pieces are fork-tender and can be shredded easily.
• When the pork cheeks are tender, remove cheeks from sauce and shred the cheek meat with a fork.
• Return shredded cheek meat to sauce and stir to combine.
• Add 1 tsp sherry vinegar and season with salt & freshly-ground black pepper.
• Cook pasta in salty water and drain.
• Toss pasta with the pork cheek ragu sauce.
• Serve pasta hot, with freshly-grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley on top.

Notes

Pork cheeks can be difficult to find. If you are having a hard time finding cheeks, try using cubed pork shoulder—the result will be equally delicious.