Braising Season is back, baby! So to celebrate, say hello to your new favorite Sunday dinner.
(It won’t say hi back, by the way, it’s a little shy.)
This is a good meal to make on the weekend because it does take a few hours. Braising meat is definitely not an exercise in instant gratification. But the investment is COMPLETELY worth it, and while it is not 100% “Set it and forget it” there is only minimal tending necessary. Totally manageable on a Sunday afternoon while you lounge on the couch with football on in the background. Your oven will do most of the work, your house will smell amazing all afternoon, and in the end after a stir or two on your part, you will be rewarded with tender caramelized deliciousness that you will want to eat right out of the pot.
But we are civilized, so we will eat it over spaghetti squash!
Pork Shoulder Ragu Over Spaghetti Squash |
- 2.5 lb Pork Shoulder
- 2.5 Tablespoons Salt
- 1.5 Tablespoons Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Grass Fed Butter
- 1 Cup Red Wine
- 2 14 oz Cans Diced Tomatoes
- 5 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 3 teaspoons Dried Oregano
- 1.5 Tablespoons Fennel Seed
- 1 Tablespoon of Hot Sauce (Trader Joe’s Hot Pepper Sauce is awesome!)
- 1 Large Spaghetti Squash
- Handful of chopped fresh parsley
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Add Olive Oil and Butter to large dutch oven and heat over medium high until butter is melted but not burning
- Liberally salt, pepper and garlic powder your pork shoulder.
- Add pork roast to pan and brown on all sides (This will take between 10 and 15 minutes to get a good crust going on your roast)
- Add wine to deglaze
- Add tomatoes, thyme, oregano, fennel seeds and hot sauce and bring to a boil
- Cover and put in the oven
- Braise for 3 hours, flipping roast over every hour
- About 30 minutes before your roast is done, prep your spaghetti squash
- Poke 8-10 holes around your raw spaghetti squash
- Put directly into the microwave (I put mine on a paper towel) and nuke for 8 minutes
- Flip Squash over and nuke for another 8-10 minutes depending on how large it is (big boys take longer!)
- When it’s done, remove from microwave (with pot holders it will be HOT!) and let cool for a few minutes
- When it’s cooler, slice down the squash long ways and remove all seeds
- Then run your fork down your squash and pull out your “noodles” into a separate bowl
- Toss squash noodles with a touch of butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder
- Add squash to your serving bowl, top with ragu and chopped fresh parsley and chow down!
It’s homey, comforting and even fit for entertaining should you be so inclined. And if I can make one last suggestion before you head off to procure ingredients, may I suggest serving it with that bottle of wine you opened earlier to cook with?
I mean, no one likes a waster.
I thought the recipe sounded familiar! (I read Dinner: A Love Story a couple weeks ago.) Putting it over spaghetti squash is a great idea.
Loved the book. LOVED. LOVED. LOVED.
Love that you’re adapting DALS recipes. I love the blog and the book but so many of the recipes have dairy and gluten.
I know! I love that book (and site) though, so I am determined to make it work. haha. This one especially spoke to me. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I read the book and it was so. dang. good!
Yum-O! Does that ever look super tasty. I brasied up a batch of German Goulash yesterday. Just love having a bunch of go to brasied dishes….The way the house smells, the few minutes of prep and let it go all day, and the warm comfort in my belly. Life is good. This one if getting added to the mix, for sure. By the way, can’t end without saying, love your blog. 🙂
Aw, thanks Kim! I agree on the braising. SO SO worth it! Hope you love it.
I have this in the oven right now, and it smells delicious. My only change was to add onions and swap fresh garlic for the garlic powder…being Italian, I hardly ever cook without them.
Yeah, I thought about stuffing garlic into the roast just for fun, but ultimately opted for the powder because I’m lazy and (Confession Time) peeling garlic is my most dreaded kitchen task. 🙂 I bet the onions were an awesome addition too!
This recipe was a total homerun for me. My incredibly picky, anti-Paleo fiancee, who barely allows me to cook because I make everything “healthy”, ate two helpings and declared he could it once a week. Of course, I served it with mashed potatoes, but I think the compromise was worth it. Delicious!
This sounds delicious! I’m going to try this on Sunday… thank you!
As a cooking novice, if I don’t have a dutch oven can I just use a deep pot and lid?
Yes, just make sure it is oven proof for up to 325 degrees.
So every once in a while our local supermarket has an insane sale on pork butts and we usually have them smoked. The otehr day they went to .99/lb. I now have a freezer full of pig ass, so thanks for this!
I think I just found my Sunday dinner. This looks amazing. I can almost smell the pork by looking at your pic!