Pork Ragu and Creamy Polenta

Rich and flavorful pork ragu over a dairy free, creamy polenta is the perfect comfort food for a chilly, fall day. Braising the pork on low heat in the oven makes it oh so tender, complimenting the bright herb flavors in this surprisingly easy, allergen free recipe.

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I love using polenta as a delicious, gluten free base to a rich, meaty sauce like a ragu. Traditionally a ragu is served over pappardelle or other thick noodles, but a creamy polenta adds more texture and I find to be a better compliment to the meaty sauce. If gluten isn’t an allergy concern of yours, however, you can certainly swap of the traditional pappardelle.

A couple of notes on the ingredients. For the pork, you can really use any boneless variety that you prefer or have on hand. I like to use tenderloin because it has a lower fat content, but shoulder or even country ribs will work as well- just remember to trim the extra fat. It’s also important to note that we’re talking about a creamy polenta that you will make with uncooked polenta- you don’t want to purchase the pre-made polenta that many stores will carry. To make the polenta extra creamy- and allergy safe- you’ll need dairy free cream cheese and mozzarella. For the cream cheese, my family uses KiteHill brand because it fits within our allergy constraints- it does contain almonds, but is soy, peanut, cashew, and pea free. For the mozzarella, Violife cheese is my preference; it’s top 9 free, melts nicely and doesn’t have that ‘fake cheese’ flavor. Feel free to use the brands that you prefer and that work with your needs!

Start by making the ragu. It’s so flavorful, you’ll never guess how easy it is to make! Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and warm olive oil in a large, oven safe dutch oven. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper and then sear in the dutch oven on all sides; 2 minutes per side. Remove the pork from the Dutch oven and set aside. Add in the onion, carrot and mushrooms and saute until onions are tender, about 4 minutes. Add in the garlic and herbs and saute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan by adding the broth and wine. Using a flat bottom spoon, stir in the liquids while scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and allow the liquid to simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Return the pork to the pan, adding the tomatoes and stirring to combine. Bring the sauce back to a boil. Cover and place the dutch oven on the lower rack of the oven and cook at 325 for 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Once tender, remove the pork and shred. Return to the sauce, stirring to combine. Taste the sauce and add any salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm until it’s time to serve.

Prepare the polenta once the ragu has been cooking for about 90 minutes. Add the broth to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Whisk in the polenta in a steady stream until combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. If the polenta is too thick, add in an extra 1/4-1/2 cup of broth. Stir in dairy free cream cheese, olive oil and dairy free mozzarella. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Ideally you will have timed your prep to be shredding the pork while the polenta cooks, or at the very least, rests. You’ll want to serve polenta immediately for the creamiest texture.

To serve, spread 1/2 cup prepared polenta on the bottom of a pasta bowl. I like to spread the polenta wide so that it serves as a nice base layer to absorb all of the juice from the sauce. Top with roughly 1 cup of the ragu and garnish with fresh herbs. You can also garnish with a pinch of dairy free mozzarella or parmesan.

Yield: 6 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours

Pork Ragu and Creamy Polenta Ingredients

For the Pork Ragu:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut in half
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1-1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2/3 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup broth
• 1-14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 -14.5 once can crushed tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Creamy Polenta:

• 5 cups broth
• 1-1/2 cups polenta
• 1/2 cup dairy free cream cheese, like KiteHill (contains almonds)
• 1/4 cup dairy free mozzarella, like Violife
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Pork Ragu and Creamy Polenta Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and warm olive oil in a large, oven safe dutch oven.
2. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper and then sear in the dutch oven on all sides; 2 minutes per side. Remove the pork from the Dutch oven and set aside.
3. Add in the onion, carrot and mushrooms and saute until onions are tender, about 4 minutes. Add in the garlic, herbs and spices; saute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
4. Deglaze the pan by adding the broth and wine. Using a flat bottom spoon, stir in the liquids while scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and allow the liquid to simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
5. Return the pork to the pan, adding the tomatoes and stirring to combine. Bring the sauce back to a boil. Cover and place the dutch oven on the lower rack of the oven and cook at 325 for 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
6. Once tender, remove the pork and shred. Return to the sauce, stirring to combine, adding any salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm until it’s time to serve.
7. 90 minutes into the cook time, prepare the polenta. Add the broth to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Whisk in the polenta in a steady stream until combined.
8. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. If the polenta is too thick, add in an extra 1/4-1/2 cup of broth. Stir in dairy free cream cheese, olive oil and dairy free mozzarella. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. You’ll want to serve polenta immediately for the creamiest texture.
9. To serve, spread 1/2 cup prepared polenta on the bottom of a pasta bowl. Top with 1 cup of the ragu and garnish with fresh herbs.

Bon Appetit! I can’t wait to hear how your ragu turned out- drop a comment below or share your pictures with me on Instagram!