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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.