Looking for a way to use up that leftover holiday ham? This leftover ham ragu with pork roast added is the perfect recipe for such an occasion!
With as busy as our lives our right now, the simpler the weeknight dinner recipes the better. I’ve started making dishes on the weekend that I can either eat all week long or have enough leftover ingredients (like chicken or steak) to make something easy out of them. Word on the street is that ham is a popular Easter dish, and I’m sure many of you will have enough leftover ham to feed a family of four for weeks. I decided to post a recipe today that puts that leftover ham to use.
I love ragu. Sometimes I just crave red meat sauce and pasta, so this past weekend I decided to make a big batch of it for the week. Using leftover ham and a small pork shoulder or roast, this leftover ham ragu is super simple to make. It’s a great recipe to set it and forget it. The longer you cook it the better. You want that pork falling apart. The ham adds a whole new dimension of flavor to this traditional ragu. It adds texture and some most necessary fat!
This is a recipe the whole family will love, and I hope you guys love it too! Enjoy!
Beer We are kind of out of season to be pairing with oktoberfests, but I love them with tomato sauce. Tomatoes are super hard to pair with because they are extremely acidic, but I think an oktoberfest works really well in this situation. It is definitely a little bit more malty and they can sometimes have a very slight hint of sweetness which counters the acidity in this sauce. This is a great pairing, even if it is the start to spring, so give it a try when you make this recipe!
Leftover Ham Ragu
Leftover Ham Ragu
Servings:
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lb boneless pork shoulder or pork roast
- salt and black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 6 garlic cloves finely minced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth
- 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes whole or crushed
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper
- 6 sprigs of thyme
- 3 sprigs of oregano
- 6 basil leaves chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups finely chopped ham
- Serve with: long pasta or polenta, grated parmesan, chopped parsley
Instructions
- To a large dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Season the pork on both sides with salt and black pepper. Add the pork to the pan and sear on both sides until brown and caramelized, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the pork from the pan and transfer to a large plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, and also add the onion. Cook for about 8 minutes or until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it is a dark maroon color. Whisk in the beef broth, and add the San Marzano tomatoes and diced tomatoes (with juices). Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Add the sugar (more as needed depending on how acidic the tomatoes are), crushed red pepper, thyme, oregano, basil, and bay leaves. Boil for 5 minutes.
- Add the pork back to the pan, and bring all ingredients to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and cook on the stovetop for 3 - 3:30 hours or until the pork is tender and falling apart. Once the pork is falling apart, help it out a bit and shred it with two forks. Add the ham to the pan and cook for an additional 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Keep warm on the stovetop until you are ready to serve.
- Serve the ham ragu over long pasta or polenta. Sprinkle with grated parmesan and chopped parsley. Enjoy!
3 Responses
Such a great idea! this sounds wonderful. I’m going to have to try it with our Easter leftovers!
I was looking forward to trying this recipe, but the attached directions are for a pumpkin chili.