Sunday 25 February 2018

Ragù for pasta

This is a variation on Carluccio's ragù from 'An Invitation to Italian Cooking'. We miss you, Zio.

Serves 3
A lamb shank
Pork ribs (the pork and lamb combined should come to about 2 lbs)
A big handful of diced pancetta
A large onion
Two cloves of garlic
Two 400g tins of tomatoes
A stick of celery
A couple of sprigs each of fresh thyme and parsley
A sprinkle of dried marjoram
A bay leaf
A small handful of dried porcini
A glass of red wine
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Soak the porcini in a small dish or a teacup, in enough water to cover them.

Heat a little olive oil in a large, heavy, lidded saucepan and fry the pancetta till golden, then remove to a plate. Meanwhile thickly slice the onion and finely chop the garlic and celery.

Brown the lamb shank and pork ribs on a medium heat, then add the onions, stirring occasionally until they soften and begin to catch. Stir in the celery and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, then turn up the heat, pour in the wine and bubble for a while until the raw alcohol smell disappears. Meanwhile drain and chop the porcini, keeping the soaking liquor, and add the mushrooms and the liquid to the pan.

Nudge in the sprigs of thyme and parsley and stir in the marjoram. Season with a little salt and a lot of pepper. Add tomatoes to cover (you may not need all of the second tin, or you may need to top up with a little water), bring to the boil then part cover and cook on a very low heat for at least two hours.

When the sauce is coming together, remove the meat. Turn up the heat and reduce the sauce with the lid off while you strip the lamb and pork from the bones. Add the morsels of meat back to the pan, adjust the seasoning, remove the herbs and then serve with your choice of pasta.