Polenta with Pork Ragù Recipe

Polenta is made from corn meal that is an ancient peasant food—in Northern Italy it is made with a harder consistency, cut and grilled and topped with a sauce, while in the center and South, it is served creamy, almost like American grits.

I made this recipe as a warm comforting dish with a slow-cooked pork ragú as a hearty sauce to pour over the slightly spicy polenta. I love the contrasts in textures and the delicious flavors that the pork and corn polenta create together. It is a rustic, earthy dish that can be made for an army of people, since both components can be made in large quantities.

Serve it at your next dinner party when it is cold outside, and you want some comforting food. Or make it vegetarian, with a mushroom ragú, that lightens up the dish but remains super flavorful.

Other meat sauce recipes:

• Malloreddus Pasta with Pork Shoulder Sauce
• Ragù Napoletano

Polenta with Pork Ragu

A delicious polenta recipe that will be the perfect dish for your family!

4.73 from 11 votes

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Course: Secondi

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 449kcal

Author: Guido Pedrelli

Ingredients

SAUCE

• ▢ 2 pounds pork ribs country style cut into 2 inch pieces
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 1 large onion diced
• ▢ 4 large garlic cloves coarsely minced
• ▢ 1/2 cup Chianti wine
• ▢ 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• ▢ 2 sprigs rosemary fresh
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley finely chopped

POLENTA

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups coarse polenta uncooked
• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup pecorino romano freshly grated, plus more for serving
• ▢ 1 tablespoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley finely chopped

Instructions

FOR THE SAUCE

• ▢
  Season the pork with salt and pepper.
  
• ▢
  Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the pork, turning often, until evenly browned for about 10 to 12 minutes.
• ▢
  Transfer to a platter and drain off pan drippings. Wipe out any burned bits from the pot but leave the golden brown pieces to flavor the sauce.
• ▢
  Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook stirring continuously until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
  
• ▢
  Add the wine and cook for about 2 minutes.
  
• ▢
  Add the tomatoes, rosemary and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes.
• ▢
  Add the meat to the pan and mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
• ▢
  Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to very low and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

FOR THE POLENTA

• ▢
  Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt.
  
• ▢
  While whisking gently, slowly pour the polenta into the boiling water.
  
• ▢
  Turn down the heat to low and whisk continuously until the polenta has thickened enough that it doesn’t settle back on the bottom of the pan when you stop stirring.
  
• ▢
  Stir vigorously every 1 minute or so, making sure to scrape the sides, bottom, and corners of the pan. Cook 30 minutes for softer polenta or 40 minutes for thicker polenta.
  
• ▢
  Stir in the Pecorino Romano and butter.
  
• ▢
  Place the polenta covering the bottom of the plate and pour the Pork Ragú on top. Garnish with finely chopped parsley.
• ▢
  Serve immediately.
  

Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1046mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 408IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2mg

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