Instant Pot Pork Ragu

5 from 3 votes

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.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 321

Author Jessica Kwon

Equipment

Instant Pot pressure cooker

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless pork shoulder or butt cut into 4-6 pieces
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoon cooking oil I use avocado oil
½ onion diced; about 1 cup
2-3 carrots diced; about ½ cup
2-3 stalks celery diced; about ½ cup
3-4 cloves garlic minced
½ cup red wine I use Cabernet Sauvignon
1 bay leaf
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce or 1¾ cup marinara sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Option to trim pork of excess fat. Then season pork all over with parsley, oregano, thyme, and a generous amount of salt and pepper.
On the Instant Pot, turn on [Sauté: More] 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 transfer to a plate. Repeat with second half and set aside. If the herbs look or smell like they're burning, turn it down to [Sauté: Normal].
Switch to [Sauté: Normal] mode if you haven't already done so and add more oil if needed. Add onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until edges of onion starts to get translucent. Then stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
Pour in the wine. Scrape up browned bits on the bottom of the pot and reduce for 3-4 minutes. Then turn off Sauté mode.
Add bay leaf, tomato sauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Nestle in pork. Place the lid on and seal. Cook on [Manual Pressure: High] for 40 minutes, then let release naturally for 10 minutes.
Remove the pork and shred. Option to turn [Sauté: Normal] mode and let boil for 5-6 minutes or until sauce has reduced to preferred thickness.
Stir shredded pork back into the sauce. Remove the bay leaf, season sauce to taste, and serve.

Notes

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.
Substitutions:
- If using fresh herbs instead of dried, double the amount.
- 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.

Nutrition