Instant Pot Pork Ragu
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 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 15 min
- Yield
- 5 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 lbs boneless pork shoulder or butt (cut into 4-6 pieces)
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp 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)
Instructions
- 1
Option to trim pork of excess fat. Then season pork all over with parsley, oregano, thyme, and a generous amount of salt and pepper.
- 2
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].
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
Stir shredded pork back into the sauce. Remove the bay leaf, season sauce to taste, and serve.