This Instant Pot Pork Ragù is perfect for both weeknights and weekends. Large cuts of pork shoulder are tenderized in minutes thanks to the Instant Pot. The end result: a rich, delicious meat sauce that tastes like it's been cooking all day.
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The Best Pork Pasta
Ragù is an Italian-based meat sauce commonly served with pasta - but its potential doesn't stop there! Ragù can be served with ravioli, polenta, rice, in between lasagna sheets, mashed potatoes.. it honestly goes with everything.
This Instant Pot Pork Ragù uses pork shoulder, which is typically a large, fatty, and tough cut of meat. It's traditionally cooked low and slow to melt the connective tissues, resulting in tender pork that falls apart with a butter knife. But we shorten this hours-long process into just 1 hour thanks to the handy dandy pressure cooker!
To create the sauce, we start with an Italian sofrito of onion, carrots, and celery. We build layers of flavor with dried herbs, red wine, tomato sauce, and broth. And before you know it, you have the most delectable, mouthwatering pork shoulder ragu! It's silky, deep, rich, and luscious. This Instant Pot Pork Ragù is special enough for a holiday or date night, but so easy that you'll be cooking it every night of the week!
Why You'll Love it
- It's great for feeding a crowd, making it a very affordable recipe.
- The Instant Pot pressure cooker tenderized the pork shoulder quickly and there's no guesswork in when the meat is done.
- Instant Pot Pork Ragù is versatile enough to be paired with pretty much any kind of starch.
- Traditionally, we think of beef when it comes to ragù. But pork is a fun and still familiar twist.
- It's all made in one pot for minimal clean up.
Ingredients
- Pork shoulder: Can also be referred to as pork butt or Boston Butt pork roast. Pork shoulder and butt are cut from opposite ends of the shoulder, but can be used interchangeably. Pork shoulder is less fatty while pork butt is thicker, more fatty, and great for pulled pork. Use either one you'd like.
- Dried parsley, oregano, and thyme: To create a herby, delicious crust on the pork.
- Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic: A classic Italian sofrito and base for our sauce.
- Red wine: Use an affordable, dry red wine you like to drink like a Cabernet Sauvignon. You can also leave it out if you wish!
- Bay leaf: To add more fragrance to the ragù.
- Tomato sauce: I prefer canned because it's thicker and smoother. You can substitute with your favorite jarred marinara or tomato sauce, but the ragù may end up thinner.
- Bone broth: I cook exclusively with bone broth for the collagen and health benefits. Only use bone broth from the refrigerated or freezer section. You can substitute with low sodium boxed broth or stock.
- Grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil: for garnish
How To Make It
- Season and brown the pork. Cut the pork shoulder into large chunks for faster and more even cooking. Then season with salt, pepper, and plenty of herbs. Turn on the Sauté mode on your Instant Pot, make sure it reds "Hot", then sear the pork until a crust forms. Only sear each surface 2-3 minutes as we're trying to develop flavor rather than cook the pork. Also make sure to sear in batches - overcrowding the pan will cause the pork to steam and you won't achieve that beautiful brown crust. Then set the pork aside.
- Add the trinity. If your pork was really fatty, you can drain some of the excess fat. Otherwise, add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt. Lightly sauté, stirring often, for about 3-4 minutes. Next, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the wine, scrape up the browned bits on the bottom (it's all flavor there!), and reduce the wine to half its volume for about 4-5 minutes.
- Pressure cook the sauce. Add in the bay leaf and tomato sauce. I like to pour the broth into the tomato can so nothing goes to waste, then add that into the Instant Pot. Lightly season the sauce, then nestle the pork into the liquid. Place the lid on, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes. It's very important to let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes to give the pork time to rest after cooking.
- Cook your carbs. While the pork is cooking, I recommend cooking your starch. You can serve it with rice, polenta, pasta, potatoes, zoodles - whatever you'd like. If serving with pasta, reserve some of the pasta water and cook the pasta 2 minutes under so you can finish it in the sauce.
- Shred the pork. After the 10 minute release, completely release pressure. Remove the pork and shred. If you want a thicker sauce, set the Instant Pot to Sauté and reduce until thickened. I would also add the pasta and pasta water in to finish cooking at this point.
- Assemble. Divide your starch into bowls, then spoon the ragù on top. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Top Tips
- Cut the pork into equal sized pieces. Pork shoulder comes in really large 4-6 lb pieces. I usually divide mine into 2-3 lb portions and freeze it. If I know I'm going to make a stew or shredded pork, I cut it into even smaller pieces about 3" big. This allows the pork to cook more evenly and in a fraction of the time.
- Pour the broth into the tomato can. My mom always did this! Whenever we reach the end of canned or jarred tomato sauce, she would add some water (or broth in this case) so we'd get every drop of tomato goodness. No waste here!
- Don't skip the natural release! Whenever you're cooking meat in an Instant Pot, always allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 5-10 minutes. This is the same as letting meat rest after grilling or roasting it - the juices redistribute and the meat becomes more tender, juicy, and flavorful.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you're using fresh herbs instead of dried, double the amount.
- Feel free to skip the red wine. You can add a splash of balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce for a little more umami flavor. Or skip it altogether and use a splash of broth instead to deglaze the pot.
- Instead of canned tomato sauce, substitute with whole tomatoes for a chunkier sauce. I recommend finding canned San Marzano whole tomatoes or fresh tomatoes in the summer for the best flavor.
- To make this dairy-free, skip the Parmesan cheese or use nutritional yeast instead.
- To make this paleo, substitute the red wine with more broth.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: If you have leftover Instant Pot Pork Ragù, let it cool completely on the countertop. Then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 5 days. If any fat solidifies on top, you can discard it if desired.
Freezing: This is a great freezer meal - you can even make a double portion to freeze for later! Let the ragù cool completely, then place into a freezer-safe zip-top bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing individual portions for a quick meal and don't forget to include a "Reheat By" date. You can reheat directly from frozen.
Reheating: This dish reheats best on the stovetop. Warm over medium-high heat with additional water, broth, or tomato sauce if it looks dry. You can also microwave it for 1-2 minutes until warm.
FAQ
The word itself actually comes from the French word ragout, which means stewed meat, fish, or vegetables. The term is believed to have traveled to Italy after Napoleon's invasion in the late 1700's.
Bolognese is a type of ragu sauce. Ragu refers to a stewed sauce with meat, while Bolognese is traditionally made with ground meat, onion, carrots, celery, dry white wine, tomatoes, broth, and milk.
The options are endless! Polenta and pasta are very traditional. I would recommend a sturdy pasta that would hold up well to the meat. I like pappardelle, tagliatelle, or rigatoni. You can also serve it with gnocchi, baked potatoes, a crusty baguette, rice, or in a lasagna.
Looking For More?
Pasta is my favorite food ever! For some more of my favorite pasta dishes, try:
- One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
- One-Pot Creamy Chicken Gnocchi
- French Onion Chicken Pasta Bake
- One-Pot Chicken, Spinach, and Artichoke Pasta
- Pasta with Pink Sauce
Recipe
Instant Pot Pork Ragu
Equipment
- Instant Pot pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 2-2½ lbs boneless pork shoulder or butt cut into large, equal portions about the size of your fist
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- ½ cup diced carrots
- ½ cup diced celery
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can 15 oz tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken or beef bone broth
- Parmesan cheese and fresh basil for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Option to trim pork of excess fat. Then season pork with parsley, oregano, thyme, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper.
- On the Instant Pot, turn on Sauté: Normal mode and add oil. When it reads "Hot", add half the pork shoulder, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Sear each side for 2-3 minutes until deeply browned, then set aside. Repeat with second half and set aside.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until edges of onion starts to get translucent. Add garlic and cook for additional 30 seconds.
- Pour in the wine. Scrape up browned bits on the bottom of the pot and reduce for 4-5 minutes. Then turn off Sauté mode.
- Add bay leaf and tomato sauce. Pour broth into tomato can to get all the sauce, and add into Instant Pot along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Nestle in pork. Place the lid on and seal. Cook on Manual Pressure: High for 30 minutes, then let release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pork and shred. Meanwhile, turn Sauté mode on the Instant Pot to reduce and thicken the sauce.
- Stir shredded pork back into the sauce. Remove the bay leaf, season sauce to taste, and serve. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Notes
- Pork shoulder is also sold as pork butt or Boston Butt pork roast.
- If serving this with pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil while the pork is being pressure cooked. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than what the box says and reserve some of the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to the sauce as soon as you remove the pork. Add ½ cup pasta water and turn on Sauté mode. Cook until pasta is al dente and sauce thickens. Stir in shredded pork.
- Storing Leftovers: Let it cool completely on the countertop. Then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 5 days. If any fat solidifies on top, you can discard it if desired.
- Freezing: This is a great freezer meal - you can even make a double portion to freeze for later. Let the ragù cool completely, then place into a freezer-safe zip-top bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can reheat directly from frozen.
- Reheating: This dish reheats best on the stovetop. Warm over medium-high heat with additional water, broth, or tomato sauce if it looks dry. You can also microwave it for 1-2 minutes until warm.'
- Substitutions:
- If you're using fresh herbs instead of dried, double the amount.
- Feel free to skip the red wine. You can add a splash of balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce for a little more umami flavor. Or skip it altogether and use a splash of broth instead to deglaze the pot.
- Instead of canned tomato sauce, substitute with whole tomatoes for a chunkier sauce. I recommend finding canned San Marzano whole tomatoes or fresh tomatoes in the summer for the best flavor.
- Substitute bone broth with low sodium boxed broth, vegetable stock, or water.
- To make this dairy-free, skip the Parmesan cheese or use nutritional yeast instead.
- To make this paleo, substitute the red wine with more broth.
Nutrition
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Products I Used
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Marinara Sauce
Chicken Bone Broth
Liquid Measuring Cup
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