At its heart, this dish is about patience. Pork shoulder is gently simmered in a tomato and red wine sauce until it’s so tender it practically falls apart with the touch of a fork. Recipe compliments of SA Pork.

Ingredients

For the pork ragù:

• 1.5 kg pork shoulder, deboned and skinned
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 sprigs fresh origanum
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• Kitchen string
• ½ cup fresh cream

To serve:

• 2 x 500 g packs ready-made gnocchi
• ½ cup mascarpone
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil, fried or served fresh

Method

1. Season the pork shoulder with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pot or pressure cooker and brown the pork on all sides until caramelised, then remove and set aside.
2. In the same pot, sauté the onion until softened. Add the carrots, celery, and garlic, and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3-5 minutes to deepen the flavour.
3. Deglaze the pot with the red wine, scraping up any bits from the base, then add the chopped tomatoes and beef stock.
4. Tie the origanum, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves together with kitchen string to form a bouquet garni and add it to the pot. Return the pork to the pot. If using a pressure cooker, cook for 1 hour. If using an oven, cover with a lid and place the pot on the lowest shelf of a preheated oven at 160°C. Cook for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the pork is tender and shreds easily.
5. Remove the pork from the pot and shred it with two forks. Discard the herb bundle. If the sauce is too thin, place the pot back on the stove and simmer until slightly reduced.
6. Stir in the fresh cream, then return the shredded pork to the sauce and allow it to simmer for a further 10-15 minutes.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

To serve:

Cook the gnocchi according to the packet instructions; once they float to the surface, lift out with a slotted spoon and either stir into the ragù and dish, or divide the gnocchi between bowls and top with the ragù. Add a spoonful of mascarpone to each bowl, then garnish with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and basil leaves.