Pork Rib Ragu, Wet Polenta, Manchego

Yield 4

Author Steven Farhall

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

1 Hour

Total time

1 H & 20 M

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Pork rib ragu, wet polenta, manchego cheese gratin

Despite the fact its officially spring, it's still absolutely freezing! An apt time to publish this warming pork dish. Ragu is essentially an Italian meat stew, with tomato and vegetables, slowly cooked until rich and succulent. We bake this ragu on a bed of wet polenta. You don't see polenta cooked in the UK much, but its a nutritious starch and tastes great flavoured with butter and cheese! We finish the dish in the oven, gratinated with an unctuous Manchego cheese sauce.

Ingredients

For the ragu

• 600g pork mince, freshly minced from the rib part of the pig if possible
• 200g onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 stick celery, finely diced
• 300ml red wine
• 400g tin chopped tomato
• 250ml chicken stock
• salt and pepper

For the polenta

• 300g quick cook polenta
• 1ltr half and half water and milk
• 150g best quality butter
• 1 big handful grated parmesan cheese

For the Manchego cheese sauce

• 25g butter
• 25g flour
• 250ml warm milk
• 100g grated Manchego cheese
• pinch nutmeg
• pinch cayenne pepper
• Extra grated parmesan to finish

Instructions

For the ragu

1. In a thick bottomed pan, fry the diced vegetables with a little oil and a sprinkling of salt until rich and translucent
2. Add the pork mince and continue to fry. The water will come out of the meat, evaporate, then the meat will start to brown off. Don't rush this part as you want the meat to develop a rich caramelised flavour.
3. Add the red wine and reduce by half
4. Add the chopped tomato and stock, cover and cook slowly for 30 minutes - 1 hour. You want to reduce the ragu until rich and unctuous.
5. Check the seasoning to finish

For the wet polenta

1. Put the half and half milk and water in a pan and bring to the boil
2. Whisk the polenta into the liquid and reduce the heat
3. continue to stir the polenta for about 5 minutes until you reach a creamy consistency
4. Finish the polenta with butter, parmesan and salt and pepper

For the cheese sauce

1. Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour to form and roux
2. Add a little of the warm milk to form a paste then add the rest and cook until you get a thin creamy sauce
3. Add a pinch of nutmeg and cayenne pepper and melt in the Manchego cheese
4. Check the seasoning and add a little more milk if it's too thick

To finish

1. In a gratin dish fill the base with the wet polenta
2. Cover with the ragu then pour over the cheese sauce
3. Sprinkle over some parmesan cheese then finish in a hot oven for 10 minutes
4. Serve with a fresh rocket salad, simple dressed with olive oil and a little sherry vinegar.