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Pig Cheek Ragu with Pappardelle
Jon Hatchman
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Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Global
Servings
4
Ingredients
6 - 8
Pork cheeks
,
cut into 1.5 inch chunks
6
rashers of
Pancetta, cut into lardons
1
Onion, finely chopped
1
Carrot, finely chopped
1
stick of
Celery, finely chopped
6
cloves of
Garlic, crushed
2
tins (400g) of
Peeled plum tomatoes
1
tbsp
Tomato puree
300
ml
Beef stock
300
ml
Red wine
2
Fresh bay leaves
3
tsp
Oregano, leaves picked and finely chopped
2
tsp
Sugar
3
tbsp
Olive oil
1
zest of a
Lemon
400
grams
Pappardelle (or fresh lasagne sheets)
100
grams
Parmesan, grated/shaved
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
,
a drizzle to finish
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 160C/ Gas mark 3
To begin, heat the olive oil in an oven-proof casserole dish over a medium-high heat
Once heated, throw in the cubed pork cheeks and seal all over
Once the cheeks are browned, remove from the pan and set aside before adding the pancetta to the pan
Fry the pancetta until slightly crisp then remove from the pan and set aside with the cheeks
Add the onion, celery and carrot to the pan and reduce the heat
Season with a generous pinch of salt to slow the vegetables cooking process
Once this begins to soften, add the wine to the pan and bring to the boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze
Once the wine has reduced by half, add the pork and pancetta, plus the resting juices, back to the pan
Add the beef stock, tomatoes, tomato puree, bay leaves, oregano, sugar and garlic to the pan and season with a generous crack of black pepper
Stir, bring back to the boil and cover
Place this into a preheated oven for 3-4 hours, stirring every 45 minutes
As soon as the cheeks break with a spoon – the pork is ready to remove from the oven
When the pork cheeks are cooked, remove the casserole dish from the oven and place back on the hob, over a medium heat
Break the cheeks and tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken
Add the lemon zest after 10 minutes have passed
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pan of salted water
Once the sauce is thick and the pasta is cooked al dente, strain and add the pasta to the casserole dish
Mix everything together and serve
Finish with a handful of parmesan, a crack of black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil