{"id":3008,"date":"2015-07-24T18:23:38","date_gmt":"2015-07-24T18:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mrsbutterfingers.com\/?p=3008"},"modified":"2015-11-20T01:03:59","modified_gmt":"2015-11-20T01:03:59","slug":"polenta-with-southern-italian-pork-ragu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mrsbutterfingers.com\/?p=3008","title":{"rendered":"POLENTA WITH SOUTHERN ITALIAN PORK RAGU"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I have a favorite cooking pan.\u00a0 It is the one I reach for when I am sauteing or braising meat. \u00a0 It is a very large pan –\u00a0 13 inches across.\u00a0 You can brown a lot of meat at a time.<\/p>\n

It is a very deep pan – 6\u00a0 inches deep. The contents can sizzle and spit and everything stays IN the pan.<\/p>\n

It is a very heavy pan – 10 pounds. But two handles make it easy to handle. \u00a0 The bottom of the pan is very flat.\u00a0 It cooks so evenly there are no hot spots to burn its contents.<\/p>\n

It cleans beautifully – shiny as a new silver coin.\u00a0 Amazing when you realize this same pan had been used several thousand times in our little French restaurant, Roxy’s Bistro.\u00a0 I have great affection for this pan.<\/p>\n

I use this perfect pan to make\u00a0 Southern Italy dish PORK RAG\u00d9 with polenta.\u00a0 Pieces of boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)\u00a0 browned in olive oil are slowly simmered in a robust rich wine tomato sauce fragrant with fresh thyme and rosemary.\u00a0 Then it’s served over the creamiest, most luxurious polenta you have ever tasted.<\/p>\n

I also use my perfect pan to make polenta.\u00a0 Think of polenta\u00a0 rich with whole milk, unsalted butter,\u00a0 seasoned with a little brown sugar and fine sea salt.\u00a0 Grate a little Parmigiano-Reggiano over it.\u00a0 Sprinkle the polenta with chopped fresh parsley and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and you have polenta that is the stuff dreams are made of.\u00a0\u00a0 Polenta that compliments superbly your lovingly prepared Pork Rag\u00f9.<\/p>\n

There is a secret to this type of cooking.\u00a0 The Pork Rag\u00f9 tastes even BETTER after it dreams away in the refrigerator for a couple of days. \u00a0 This makes it the perfect dish for entertaining.\u00a0 You simply carefully reheat the Pork Rag\u00f9\u00a0 and\u00a0 whip up the polenta.\u00a0 Even the polenta benefits from a tiny rest before being plated.\u00a0 If you have any left over Pork Rag\u00f9 it makes a gorgeous sauce over pasta.\u00a0 It also freezes beautifully.<\/p>\n

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POLENTA WITH SOUTHERN ITALIAN PORK RAGU<\/div>\n
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Recipe Type<\/span>: one dish meal<\/span><\/div>\n
Cuisine: Southern Italian<\/span><\/div>\n
Author: Mrs Butterfingers<\/span><\/div>\n
Prep time: