Sometimes you make a dish so sublime and so chef-y that you ask yourself “do I ever need to eat out again?” This is certainly that dish. Close your eyes and you could be in any high-end, trendy-neighborhood hotspot. You know the place. It doesn’t have a drink menu it has a beverage program. It makes you feel old and and causes you to re-think you entire wardrobe. God I miss those places.
This takes a bit of time (mostly in the oven) but is not difficult. Although the recipe calls for two lemons I accidentally bought only one but thought the lemon flavor was perfect that way – in fact it’s the lemon that elevates this dish.
If you want to have the full restaurant experience give yourself a 2-oz. portion on a huge plate and garnish with a chiffonade of $10 bills.
Pork, Fennel, and Lemon Ragu with Pappardelle, Cook's Illustrated, January/February 2019
Ingredients
- Prep time: 2 hrs. 30 mins., serves 4-6
- 4 ounces pancetta, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped fine
- 1 large fennel bulb, 2 tablespoons fronds chopped, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped fine, divided
- 4 garlic clove, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons table salt, plus salt for cooking pasta
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 (1½-pound) boneless pork butt roast, well trimmed and cut in half across grain
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 12 ounces pappardelle
- 2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (1 cup), plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pancetta and ⅔ cup water in Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated and dark fond forms on bottom of pot, 8 to 10 minutes. Add onion and fennel bulb and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften and start to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, salt, thyme, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in cream and 2 cups water, scraping up any browned bits. Add pork and bring to boil over high heat. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until pork is tender, about 1½ hours.
- Transfer pork to large plate and let cool for 15 minutes. Cover pot so fond will steam and soften. Using spatula, scrape browned bits from sides of pot and stir into sauce. Stir in lemon zest and juice.
- While pork cools, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Using 2 forks, shred pork into bite-size pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat or connective tissue. Return pork and any juices to Dutch oven. Cover and keep warm.
- Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 2 cups cooking water, then drain pasta and add it to Dutch oven. Add Pecorino and ¾ cup reserved cooking water and stir until sauce is slightly thickened and cheese is fully melted, 2 to 3 minutes. If desired, stir in remaining reserved cooking water, ¼ cup at a time, to adjust sauce consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with fennel fronds. Serve immediately, passing extra Pecorino separately.
I’m guessing this might serve two at my house. Maybe.
Agree…would serve 2 adults or 4-6 toddlers
Is this your recipe or did you “borrow” it?
She cited after the recipe title that it is from the January/February 2019 issue of “Cook’s Illustrated.”
Cooks illustrated.