Best Pork Ragu Recipe

The Best Pork Ragu Recipe is a rich, thick pork sauce made with imported San Marzano tomatoes, lots of onions, and garlic. Then it is slowly simmered with Italian sweet sausage links and sliced pork tenderloin.  This is a delicious pork ragu, and it’s perfect for any Sunday meal, holidays, and special occasions. 

Every Italian grandmother and mother has probably made a pork ragu in their lifetime because pork was less expensive than beef. 

Even though my husband and I have made both our mom’s, and his mom’s sauce, this time we prefer my mom’s pork ragu over his. 

First, you should know, that making pork ragu is the same concept as making a beef ragu, similar to our recipe for Braciole Sicilian Style, and to our Mom’s Sunday Meatballs. 

But it’s different from our mom’s classic bolognese and our rigatoni all’amatriciana. 

What you need to make the Best Pork Ragu:

For our pork ragu, you will need: (6 main ingredients)

• large yellow onions – at least 3 of them.
• garlic cloves
• extra virgin olive oil
• imported San Marzano peeled tomatoes – at least 3 to 4 cans.
• Italian sweet sausage links – we used 8 links, but you can add more or less.
• pork tenderloin – a package of pork tenderloin is usually one size (about 1.5 to 2 pounds).
• salt
• and a very large saucepot

When making the best pork ragu, there are 3 steps:

• First, the tomato sauce is made and simmers for one hour.   

• Second, the meats are seared (see my notes on the recipe card) and added to the sauce. 

• And finally, the sauce continues to slowly simmer for additional 30 minutes until the meats are perfectly tender and the sauce thickens. 

Easy Steps to this Pork Ragu:

1.  The first step: you need to make the tomato sauce! 

Its savory flavors come from the onions that are finely minced and slowly melt away into the sauce as the sauce cooks down.   

Next, fresh basil is added and simmered for a few minutes to fragrant the olive oil.  While the basil is simmering, open the cans of  San Marzano imported tomatoes. (full recipe on the bottom)

Using a blender or food processor, puree each can of tomatoes, one can at a time, and add them to the onion and oil mixture. 

QUICK NOTE…

• While the sauce simmers, it will slowly dissolve the onions to the point where they are no longer visible.      
• Our method is to slowly cook the sauce on low heat, covered, for one full hour before the meats are seared and added. 

2.  The second step:  is to sear the sausage links. 

This is done when the sauce has been cooking for at least 1 hour, and not before.   

 

3.  Third and final step: to sear pieces of pork tenderloin.   

Cut the tenderloin into 2-inch thick pieces.  Sear them only for 1 minute per side, and gently drop them one by one into the sauce.  This is done only in the last 30 minutes of simmering the ragu.   

 

Pork Ragu is a little time-consuming, but SO worth it! 

The pork gives this ragu its savory flavors.  It’s so delicious, you’ll be tempted to eat it with a spoon! 

It’s the best!

Notes and Tips for Success!

• It’s important to simmer the onions on low heat and not burn them.

• It is best if you use the highest quality of extra virgin olive oil, with this recipe.  The one we highly recommend using is the: Sicilian Partanna Brand EVOO.

• The tomato sauce needs to slowly cook for one full hour before the sausage links are added. 

• You can use a package of Boneless Pork Ribs with this recipe, and buy as many as you want.  They usually 4 ribs in a package.

• Our recipe requires only braising or searing the pork.  It’s not meant to fry them.   

• Keep in mind, that the pork sausage links need to simmer inside the ragu for one hour, whereas the pork tenderloin only needs 30 minutes.  If you simmer the pieces of pork tenderloin (in the sauce) too long, they will become tough. 

• I recommend a brand called All-Clad Stainless Steel for my large pots when making ragu.  And an electric mini-chopper to finely chop the onions.

• From start to finish, the ragu takes approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes.  

Storing and Freezing…

• Wait until the ragu (the sauce) completely cools before storing.  Best to store it in an air-tight sealed container and in the refrigerator.

• This ragu will stay fresh for up to 3 days.  It freezes for up to one month and it reheats beautifully. 

Our pork ragu will make a hearty meal, and plenty enough to feed a crowd. 

I bet your family will go nuts over our pork ragu.  This recipe will make enough left over to freeze for another dinner.   

We have been making this pork ragu for years and often for a Sunday family meal.  It’s best to serve our ragu over your favorite pasta.  You can either serve the pork as a side on a large platter or serve the pork alongside the pasta.  

This recipe happens to be the BEST pork ragu recipe you’ll ever find.  Trust me on this one.  

ENJOY!!

Additional Recipes for Ragu…

• Pasta with Genovese Sauce
• Braciole- Sicilian Style
• Mom’s Classic Bolognese Sauce

In case you missed it…

Most Popular Recipes of the Week:

• Mom’s Best Mashed Potato Pie
• Sauteed Spinach with Tomatoes
• Green Beans and Carrot Salad – Italian Style!
• Little Neck Clams in Wine and Garlic Broth

 

… Thanks for Pinning!

Follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter for all the latest updates.

Tried our mom’s Best Pork Ragu Recipe?  If you do, please let us know and leave a comment with a star rating.  We’d greatly appreciate it.   It helps everyone who reads them, and it helps us too!

Have fun and snap a photo and share it on Pinterest, and be sure to tag or hashtag us.  We’d love to share them with the world. 

Plus, NEVER MISS our Recipes!   … sign up in our SUBSCRIBE BOX and get our recipes FREE,  every time we post, along with reminders of some great older ones too!  This recipe is original, and it is adapted from our loving mom, Maria.

Stay Healthy … and Happy Cooking!   🙂 

Thanks for stopping by!  

 xo Anna and Liz