It had been quite sometime since we had paired a wine with pasta. Jess was looking for something rich and hearty, something that really spoke of winter and could pair with a big red. I reached into the vault and pulled out an incredible reference for an old school italian meat sauce. Pork Sugo is a recipe you would want served from the kitchen of an italian grandma. This recipe will do the trick, you just have to be patient. Take your time, let the pork do all of the work. Serve with your favorite pasta. It will also get better with a day to hang out in the fridge. Leftover heaven.
Preheat Oven to 325*
Season pork pieces generously with Salt and pepper. In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium high and brown pork pieces on all sides, 5-10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary and sage to the pot, stirring with a wooden spoon scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add in tomato paste, incorporating into all of the vegetables. Deglaze with white wine. Add back in the pork along with enough stock to cover the meat.
Cover and place into the oven for 2 hours, or until meat is falling apart. Remove meat from pan and let cool separately from the liquid. Remove rosemary sprigs and sage leaves from the liquid. Using an immersion blender, puree the cooking liquid until smooth. Lightly break apart the meat and add back to the liquid.
In a separate pot, bring water to a boil to cook the pasta. Follow directions to cook the pasta. In a small sauce pan, place one generous serving of Sugo along with 1/2 tbsp butter and heat over medium to high heat. Stir until butter is incorporated. Add in cooked pasta and toss until it is coated. Transfer to a serving dish and top with parmesan cheese if desired.
Sugo yields approximately 2 quarts of sauce (12-16 servings). Freeze if not using entire amount.
