Pork Sugo

Post and images by guest blogger, Rebecca White, of A Pleasant Little Kitchen. 

Visit her full blog or find out more about her here. 

Pork Sauce.

"Ummm, pork sauce?"

You might be confused. Let me rephrase it.

Pork Sugo, it's Italian for awesome.

Let me help you out. Pork Sugo is an Italian meal of pork shoulder that has been slow cooked with tomatoes. The result is fall apart pork shoulder and a decadent sauce (sugo) to serve with pasta (I also like to put it on sandwiches).

Pork and Tomato Sauce.

I hope you're convinced that this meal needs to be in your life. If you need a little more convincing I will continue.

Pork Sugo is slow cooked goodness.

I grew up eating a slow cooked pot roast once a week at my grandmother's house - you might have too. Upon entering her house, I always knew what we would be eating that evening because of the warmth of the oven and the comforting aroma of slow cooked meat - it greeted me like a big hug.

Pork Sugo is also like a big food hug.

Now, instead of my grandmother doing the cooking, I am. As an adult and a working mother of two young children I love a meal that can be prepped in advance and makes a ton.

When I got my hands on a Smithfield bone-in pork shoulder at my weekly grocery session I knew it would yield lots of meals. 7 pounds is a lot. That's okay though, we have a freezer and need to eat three.times.a.day. I rely on recipes that make a lot to keep a stocked freezer.

I placed the pork into my basket and pumped myself up to do some fat trimming.

You see, pork shoulder is known for its fattyness. That is why they work so well when slow cooking and smoking. There's fat involved and fat equals juiciness and flavor. However, too much fat can be an issue and I typically have to trim a few layers off from a pork shoulder before I cook it.

Not with a Smithfield pork shoulder. The pork was already trimmed and there was a perfect thin layer that covered one side of the pork. The hardest part of making Pork Sugo was already taken care of by the good people of Smithfield.

The hardest part of this recipe was cutting the vegetables, and even that took only 10 minutes. Once the prep work was finished there was not much left to do but to clean up, boil some pasta and wait to eat.

Add this meal to your recipe list and make it RIGHT NOW because...for a limited time, if you purchase a Smithfield Pork Shoulder at Market Street, you'll even be entered to win a $100 store gift card. Get the information below:

Smithfield Tis the Season Sweepstakes
Entry dates: 12/11/2016 - 12/24/2016

How to Enter

Receive an automatic entry every time your shopping purchase includes at least 1 Smithfield Fresh Pork product using your Rewards account at any Market Street store location (2 items in one transaction= 1 entry)

Prizes

Fifty winners will receive a $100 Market Street Gift Card

Drawing Dates

Winners will be selected randomly from among all eligible entries received during the sweepstakes period. A random drawing will be conducted on or around January 4, 2017. See full rules here.

Plan for Pork Sugo this week, enter to win a Market Street $100 Gift Card and use this convenient schedule below to enjoy the delicious recipe all week long:

Saturday- During your weekly grocery shopping, visit your local Market Street, United Super Market or Albertsons's Market and pick up a Smithfield pork shoulder.
Sunday afternoon- cook Pork Sugo, cool and place in fridge (because this meal is even better the next day...if you have the patience to wait!)
Monday dinner- Pork Sugo and Gnocchi (freeze half to eat during the next few months), top with freshly chopped arugula and goat cheese
Tuesday dinner- Pork Sugo Sandwiches (be sure to add some fresh mozzarella and basil!)
Wednesday dinner- Pork Sugo and Orcchiette

Pork Sugo

Author note: If you do not have a large enough pan to brown the whole pork shoulder, cut the pork into 4 pieces. Brown in two batches. This recipe makes a ton and will feed a very large crowd. You can also use the meat in sandwiches, tacos or nachos. This recipe is freezer friendly.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 teaspoons kosher salt

7 pounds bone-in pork shoulder

2 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes

1 1/2 cups dry white wine (I prefer Pinot Grigio)

1 cup heavy cream

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

5 thyme sprigs, tied with kitchen twine

fresh chopped parsley to top

Directions:

1) Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

2) Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven, over medium high heat.

3) Evenly cover the pork with 3 teaspoons of salt. Add the pork to the pan brown for 8 minutes. (3 minutes per larger sides, 1 minute per smaller sides).

4) Remove the pork and set aside. Reduce heat to medium.

5) Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery to the pan. Stir well and scrape up any browned bits. Cook for 5 minutes.

6) Add the wine and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

7) Add tomatoes, cream, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt and pork shoulder. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover, place in the oven and cook for 3 hours.

8) Remove the pan from the oven and place on the stovetop. Remove the pork and place on a plastic cutting board. Let cool for 10 minutes and then shred.

9) Simmer the tomato sauce for 20-30 minutes. Add the shredded pork back into the tomato sauce and stir well.

10) Serve on top of pasta or gnocchi.