TENDER STOVETOP PORK RAGU

TENDER STOVETOP PORK RAGU 3 lb skinless, boneless pork shoulder/butt, cut into quarters kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 TB olive or canola oil, divided 1 large onion, finely chopped 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 3 oz tomato paste ½ cup full bodied red wine 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes with juices 4 sprigs fresh thyme 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 2 whole bay leaves Towel-dry the pork on all sides. Sprinkle a thin layer of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides of pork and pat seasoning in. Heat 1 TB oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium heat. Brown pork on all sides, 10-12 min. Transfer browned pork to a dish. Remove burned bits from pot but leave rest of pan drippings and golden bits there. Add onion and garlic to the pot with remaining 1 TB oil. Stir often over mdeium heat until onion is caramelizing, 5-10 min. Add tomato paste and stir until slightly darkened in color, 1 min. Add wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until mixture is thickened, 1 min. Add tomatoes with juices, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves; stir in 2 cvups water. Add pork with accumulated juices. Bring liquid to a boil and reduce to simmer. With lid slightly ajar, continue to simmer until pork is very fork-tender and sauce is thickened (thicker than a typical pasta sauce) 3-4 hours. Using forks, shred pork or break into bite size pieces. Season with additional kosher salt and black pepper as needed. NOTES Entire dish can be made 1-2 days ahead of time. Simply cover and cool room temp; then chill in fridge until ready to reheat. Pork Ragu is delicious served with noodles/pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.