A Taste of Southern Italy: Ragù alla Pugliese

In Apulia—just like in other parts of Italy—stews and sauces are most often made with various portions of meat: pork and veal, chicken, rabbit, lamb, or even a selection of game meat. Traditionally, ragù alla Pugliese is made with chicken, beef, pancetta, and pork sausage. Still, after hours of slow simmering, your ragù will taste just as good, possibly even better, made with pork, veal, or lamb alone. In fact, when made with lamb alone, it is called ragù del Pastore (lit. shepherd's sauce). This variant uses more red pepper, which imparts a nice piquant heat to the dish. Both sauces are served over pasta, most typically orecchiette, and they are often enjoyed with a good sprinkle of castrato Pugliese or pecorino cheese. Ragù alla Pugliese is a hearty meat sauce from the Puglia region in southern Italy. Here's a basic recipe for you to try: Ingredients: 500g pork shoulder, diced 300g beef chuck, diced 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 carrots, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 cup of red wine (preferably a local Puglian wine like Primitivo) 2 cups of tomato passata or canned tomatoes, crushed A handful of fresh basil, torn 1 sprig of rosemary Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil for cooking Instructions: Preparation: Mix olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, cooking until they are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic towards the end to avoid burning. Brown the Meat: Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the diced pork and beef to the pot. Cook until the meat is well browned on all sides. This adds a lot of flavor to the ragù. Deglaze: Pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift any stuck bits. Let the wine reduce by half; this step enriches the sauce with deep flavors.