Slow Cooked Pork Ragu with Fennel

• 1 kgpork shoulder, bone out, cut into large 6cm chunks
• 2 tspfennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 1 tspdried chilli flakes
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 100 mlchicken stock
• 1fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced, fronds reserved
• 1 x 400gtin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsptomato purée
• 4garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1large onion, finely chopped
• 150 mldry white wine
• 1 tspcaster sugar
• 2carrots, finely diced
• Fine salt, to taste
• 450 gdried tagliatelle, optional (optional)
• Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. 1Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan. Pat the pork chunks dry, season generously all over with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron casserole over a high heat until it shimmers.
2. 2Sear the pork in two batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crusted. Don't crowd the pan; all at once and the meat steams in its own juices instead of building that mahogany crust. Lift out and set aside.
3. 3Drop the heat to medium. Add the onion, sliced fennel and finely diced carrot to the same pot and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until very soft and sweet with no colour.
4. 4Stir in the garlic, crushed fennel seeds and chilli flakes. Cook for just 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
5. 5Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a full minute until it darkens to brick-red, then pour in the white wine. Let it bubble and reduce by half, scraping the base of the pan hard to lift every sticky bit.
6. 6Tip in the chopped tomatoes, chicken stock and sugar. Stir, then return the pork and any resting juices. The pork doesn't need to be submerged; it will braise and steam together.
7. 7Bring to a gentle simmer, cover tightly and slide into the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, turning the pork halfway, until the meat falls apart at the press of a spoon.
8. 8Lift the lid; the sauce should be deep brick-red and glossy. Shred the pork directly in the pot with two forks, pulling it into rough strands and stirring it through. If the ragu looks thin, bubble it on the hob uncovered for 10 minutes; if too thick, loosen with a splash of hot water.
9. 9If serving the optional tagliatelle, cook it in boiling salted water according to its packet while the pork finishes. Reserve a mug of cooking water before draining.
10. 10Toss the optional drained pasta with the ragu, loosening with a little reserved pasta water if needed, or serve the ragu on its own. Finish with any reserved fennel fronds.

Per serving

kcal

489

protein

34.2g

fibre

3.5g

carbs

14.5g

fat

31.8g