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I made this a couple of days ago and it was good, but it was better reheated with some fresh lemon juice and salt added to it.
Pork Ragu with Green Olives and Warm Spices
From Milk Street Fast and Slow Instant Pot Cooking page 202
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 oz cremini mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
3 bay leaves
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
3/4 cup dry red wine
4 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
14-1/2 oz can crushed tomatoes
3 medium carrots, halved and cut into 1/2” pieces
2 medium celery stalks, sliced 1/2” thick
1/2 cup chopped, pitted green olives (Castelvetrano)
2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1” chunks
START
On a 6 qt Instant Pot, select More/High Sauté. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms, bay and 1 tsp salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid released by the mushrooms has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Stir in the wine, garlic, cinnamon and allspice, scraping up any browned bits, then bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced to a syrup, 5 to 7 minutes. Press Cancel, then stir in the tomatoes, carrots, celery, half of the olives and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the pork and stir to combine, then distribute in an even layer.
FAST
Lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 25 minutes. When pressure cooking is complete, allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 15 minutes, then release the remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.
SLOW
Select More/High Sauté and bring the mixture to a boil. Press Cancel, lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Venting. Select SLOW Cook and set the temperature to More/Normal. Set the cooking time to 5 to 6 hours; the pork is done when a skewer inserted into a chunk meets no resistance. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.
FINISH
Remove and discard the bay. Using a large spoon, skim off and discard the fat from the surface. Stir in the remaining olives, slightly breaking up the meat and carrots to lightly thicken the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Toss the ragu with a chunky pasta shape like ziti, spoon it over polenta or simply offer warm, crusty bread alongside.
Charlene’s notes 9-1-2023: This was very tasty and I followed the recipe exactly. I think it needed extra salt and it will probably taste even better as a leftover. I served it with pappardelle pasta but it would be better with polenta.
Note after reheating: I added some lemon juice and salt to it and reheated it and it tasted amazing! Make it, let it chill a day or so and then serve.
Pork Ragu with Green Olives and Warm Spices
From Milk Street Fast and Slow Instant Pot Cooking page 202
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 oz cremini mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
3 bay leaves
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
3/4 cup dry red wine
4 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
14-1/2 oz can crushed tomatoes
3 medium carrots, halved and cut into 1/2” pieces
2 medium celery stalks, sliced 1/2” thick
1/2 cup chopped, pitted green olives (Castelvetrano)
2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1” chunks
START
On a 6 qt Instant Pot, select More/High Sauté. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms, bay and 1 tsp salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid released by the mushrooms has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Stir in the wine, garlic, cinnamon and allspice, scraping up any browned bits, then bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced to a syrup, 5 to 7 minutes. Press Cancel, then stir in the tomatoes, carrots, celery, half of the olives and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the pork and stir to combine, then distribute in an even layer.
FAST
Lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 25 minutes. When pressure cooking is complete, allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 15 minutes, then release the remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.
SLOW
Select More/High Sauté and bring the mixture to a boil. Press Cancel, lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Venting. Select SLOW Cook and set the temperature to More/Normal. Set the cooking time to 5 to 6 hours; the pork is done when a skewer inserted into a chunk meets no resistance. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.
FINISH
Remove and discard the bay. Using a large spoon, skim off and discard the fat from the surface. Stir in the remaining olives, slightly breaking up the meat and carrots to lightly thicken the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Toss the ragu with a chunky pasta shape like ziti, spoon it over polenta or simply offer warm, crusty bread alongside.
Charlene’s notes 9-1-2023: This was very tasty and I followed the recipe exactly. I think it needed extra salt and it will probably taste even better as a leftover. I served it with pappardelle pasta but it would be better with polenta.
Note after reheating: I added some lemon juice and salt to it and reheated it and it tasted amazing! Make it, let it chill a day or so and then serve.