Tuesday, 21 November 2017

Pork Sugo

Sugo not to be confused with Ragu
Ragu is a stew with minced meats
Sugo is a stew on the bone and the flavour on the bone is so much richer

We have been having several Sugo's this trip as the weather is turning cooler and having a pot of Sugo simmering away on an cooktop here in Italy is so country Italian.


The finished dish, country and rustic not an ideal photographers subject! never looks so great on a plate but what it lacks in looks it picks up with bangs of flavour.
And well ... you also have the Italian environment lighting to contend with for food photos. I'm thinking that instead of a low energy bulbs most accommodation providers think ... well lets just don't have any, problem solved. So lighting is more romantic than practical so perhaps that why there are so many Italians!!! 

So in a YERY big pot with a flat bottom and lower sides as you want as much surface contact for the rich development of the Sugo.

 

 
Onions, garlic soften in olive oil



Add pork ribs, pork shoulder chunks 

  
 and brown


 
Once first two cuts of pork are brown add pork sausages, this will break down to help create that rich meaty Sago sauce

.
Once you have a little colour on the sausages than flood with tomato paste and oregano + a tiny bit of pepperoncino.
Remember Italian are not big on the whole spice thing ... so if you like it hot ... go for it as this dish is so rich it can take the spice.
 
 
 
 
So Italians serve this Sugo just as the first picture shows in a pot on the table as the final course to the savoury selection of a menu and sometimes with polenta.

They also take some of the sauce from the Sagu and add it to an egg pasta as the earlier part of the meal.
For me with a chilly hit would be amazing with mashed potato or rice in a bowl in front of a open fire under the stars.
now down south in Puglia we had an amazing Sugo that was done with red wine and a few other ingredients, now at this stage I'm not giving out that recipe as I / we want to try it out back at The Retreat to see how it will go.
any voluntaries to be taste food dummies?
 
 




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