Instant Pot Pork Ragù

This succulent Instant Pot Pork Ragu is comfort food at its best! Juicy braised pork shoulder swimming in a rich tomato sauce feels cozy, rich, and indulgent. It tastes like it's been cooking all day but thanks to the Instant Pot, this traditional meat sauce is done in a fraction of the time.

Jump to:

• 🍝 What Is Ragu?
• 🧂 Ingredients for Pork Ragu
• 👩🏻‍🍳 How To Make Instant Pot Pork Ragu
• 💭 Top Tips
• 🥡 Storing & Freezing
• 📖 Recipe FAQs
• 🍽 Looking For More Italian Recipes?
• 📋 Recipe

🍝 What Is Ragu?

So what exactly is ragu sauce? A common question with a simple answer: it's a slowly simmered Italian meat sauce. Though commonly served with pasta, don't limit its potential there! Ragu also tastes great with creamy polenta, gnocchi, eggplant parmesan, or on a bed of greens.

This delicious Instant Pot Pork Ragu uses pork shoulder, which is 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 to just 1½ hours thanks to the handy dandy pressure cooker! Some more of my favorite Instant Pot recipes include Instant Pot Korean Chicken Stew and Instant Pot Vietnamese Rice Porridge.

A hearty, meaty sauce like pork ragu is usually reserved for Sunday supper with the whole family. But this Instant Pot version is so easy that it can get dinner on the table quick on a busy weeknight. Or meal prep a large batch of Instant Pot Pork Ragu to save even more time!

Why You'll Love It

• Quick and easy: Save time and effort by making Italian pork ragu in the Instant Pot. It's faster than traditional braising and a one-pot meal!
• Affordable: Authentic pork ragu uses humble ingredients like pork shoulder, fresh vegetables, and canned tomato sauce to create a wholesome, delicious meal. Per Italian custom, give simple ingredients a little love and they'll transform into something truly magical.
• Healthy: This Instant Pot Pork Ragu is mostly fresh meat and vegetables and uses minimally processed ingredients. Plus, this recipe is dairy free and gluten free.

🧂 Ingredients for Pork Ragu

• 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. If you buy pork shoulder in bulk (like me), try it in Instant Pot Pork Adobo or Vietnamese Pork Skewers.
• Parsley, oregano, thyme, and bay leaf: Parsley, oregano, and thyme create a delicious herb crust on the pork. And the herbs provide great flavor and aroma to an otherwise simple tomato sauce.
• Onion, carrots, and celery: Italy's holy trinity, also called soffritto.
• Garlic: A must-have in every Italian dish.
• Red wine: Use an affordable, dry red wine that you enjoy drinking. Since pork is milder in flavor, I recommend a bold wine like Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Tomato sauce: Canned tomato sauce is affordable and easy. A 15oz can is just enough to create a sauce that's still on the meatier side, but if you want it saucier use a large can.
• Cooking oil: Avocado oil is my favorite oil to cook, fry, and sauté with because of its high smoke point (500°F) and neutral flavor.

Substitutions & Variations

• If using fresh herbs instead of dried, double the amount. Dried herbs are more concentrated and potent in flavor.
• Replace the parsley, oregano, and thyme with 2½ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend.
• 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 or water to deglaze the pot.
• Instead of tomato sauce, substitute with canned crushed or whole tomatoes for a chunky pork ragu sauce. You can also use jarred marinara sauce in its place, although the consistency of the meat sauce will be thinner.
• Add more vegetables if you'd like. Caramelized mushroom or fennel would be great additions.

👩🏻‍🍳 How To Make Instant Pot Pork Ragu

⬇️ Please scroll down to the recipe card to see full ingredient amounts and instructions.

STEP ONE: First, prepare your fresh ingredients for the pork ragu. Chop the onion, carrots, and celery and mince the garlic.

STEP TWO: Cut your pork shoulder into 4 even-sized pieces. If it's extra fatty, you can trim it. Season generously on all sides with salt, pepper, and the dried herbs.

STEP THREE: Turn on the Sauté: More mode on your Instant Pot. When it reads "Hot", add the cooking oil along with half the pork shoulder. Let sear for a good 2-3 minutes per side so a dark, golden crust forms. I like to set a timer to prevent myself from fidgeting with the meat.

Then transfer the pork to a plate and repeat with the second half, adding more oil if it looks dry. Set all the pork aside and turn the Sauté mode down to Normal. If it looks or smells like it's burning, you can turn it down to Normal earlier.

STEP FOUR: Next, add the soffritto of onion, carrots, and celery along with a pinch of salt. Stir often for about 2 minutes, scraping up as many browned bits as possible as the vegetables release some water.

STEP FIVE: Stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

STEP SIX: Add a splash of red wine and use your wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits (or fond, as it's called in French) stuck on the bottom of the pot. Then add the remaining wine and let reduce for 3-4 minutes to cook out the alcohol. Then turn off the Instant Pot.

STEP SEVEN: Next, add the tomato sauce, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir before nestling the pork into the sauce. Place the lid on, seal, and cook on Manual: High Pressure for 40 minutes. It's very important to let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes to give the pork time to rest after cooking.

STEP EIGHT: After the 10 minute release, completely release pressure. Remove the pork and shred. If you want a thicker ragu sauce, set the Instant Pot to Sauté and reduce for 5ish minutes until thickened.

Feel free to garnish with any fresh herbs and cheese if you'd like. My favorite toppings are red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil.

💭 Top Tips

• Do your best to cut the pork into equal sized pieces. Pork shoulder is a large cut of meat, so dividing it into 4-6 pieces for this Instant Pot pork ragu will shorten the cooking time. It'll also create more surface area for searing (aka more flavor). You can also ask your butcher to cut it for you.
• Mange the heat by changing the Sauté mode between Less, Normal, and More. Keep pressing the Sauté button to filter through the modes. "More" is preferred for searing the meat, but turn it down to "Normal" anytime it looks like it's browning too quickly. Feel free to also turn off the Instant Pot completely for a couple minutes to turn down the heat quickly, if needed.
• Whenever you cook 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 shreddable.
• To make traditional pork ragu with pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil when the pork is almost done cooking. For 4 servings, I use 16oz pasta - my favorites are pappardelle, spaghetti, or rigatoni for this ragu. Boil the pasta 3 minutes less than package instructions and reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water. Then remove the pork from the Instant Pot, turn on Sauté: Normal mode, and add the pasta water. Once boiling, add the par-cooked pasta and let finish cooking in the sauce. Finish by stirring in the shredded pork and serve.

🥡 Storing & Freezing

Storing: Let any leftover Instant Pot Pork Ragu cool completely. Then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 5 days. If fat solidifies on top, you can scoop it out and discard if desired.

Freezing: This is a great freezer meal - you can even make a double portion of Instant Pot Pork Ragu to freeze for later! Let the pork ragu 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. You can reheat directly from frozen and let thaw overnight in the fridge for best results.

Reheating: This meat sauce reheats best on the stovetop. Warm over medium heat with additional water, broth, or tomato sauce if it looks dry. You can also microwave it for 1-2 minutes until warm.

📖 Recipe FAQs

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