Recipe: Ragout of Pork Ribs and Sausages

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Every Thursday on the Good Food Blog we share a recipe from our archives.

Clifford Wright is the author of Real Stew: 300 Recipes for Authentic Home-Cooked Cassoulet, Gumbo, Chili, Curry, Minestrone, Bouillabaise, Stroganoff, Goulash, Chowder, and Much More, published by Harvard Common Press.  He first shared this recipe for Ragout of Pork Ribs and Sausages on February 28, 2004.

Keep reading for the full recipe…

Ragout of Pork Ribs and Sausages
Serves 5

In southern Italy cooks like to keep pork and pork sausages on the fire for a long time to make wonderfully flavored stews. This is a succulent stew that simmers for several hours. It is flavored with anise, whose aromatic flavor perfumes the dish in its slow cooking. The kind of ribs you want are called “country ribs” that have a lot more meat on the bone than back ribs. This stew is excellent with some baked ziti and broccoli.

  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons pork lard
  • 2 1/2 lbs pork country ribs on the bone
  • 1 medium-size onion, chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • One 6-ounce can tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
  • 1 1/4 lb hot Italian sausages
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon aniseed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. In an earthenware (preferably) casserole, heat the olive oil with the pork lard over medium-high heat, then brown the country ribs with the onion and garlic, about 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Dissolve the tomato paste in 1 cup wine. Add the sausages, dissolved tomato paste, and the remaining 1/2 cup wine, the water, and aniseed, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 4 hours. Serve, saving any extra ragout for a future meal.