Rich, Flavorful Braised Meat Sauce with Pork Shoulder
A deeply flavorful, slow-braised pork sugo is the ultimate comfort food. Tender chunks of pork shoulder simmered with tomatoes, wine, and fresh herbs create a rich, velvety sauce that pairs beautifully with pasta, polenta, or even a baked potato. The best part? It gets better with time, making it an excellent make-ahead dish for busy weeks.
What is Sugo?
In Italian, ‘sugo’ simply means ‘sauce.’ This particular version—pork sugo—is a slow-braised meat sauce made with pork shoulder, tomatoes, wine, and aromatics. It’s deeply savory, incredibly easy to prepare, and packed with flavor from cooking low and slow.
For more restaurant-quality pasta dishes, try my slow braised lamb ragu, melt-in-your-mouth short rib ragu (my husband’s personal favorite), or this tender oxtail ragu next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to prepare: The oven does most of the work!
- Incredibly flavorful: Slow cooking allows the flavors to develop beautifully.
- Versatile: Serve it over pasta, polenta, or even roasted vegetables.
- Make-ahead friendly: Tastes even better the next day!
Ingredient Notes
- Pork shoulder that’s been cut into chunks. Once seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper, it’ll brown in a little olive oil.
- Aromatics: yellow onion and garlic cloves.
- For the braising liquid: canned crushed tomatoes, dry white wine (or substitute stock), and chicken broth.
- Spices: fresh thyme, fresh oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes (for heat).
- Apple cider vinegar, for a little acidity.
- Grated Parmesan cheese, both for the sauce and for serving on top of the sugo. I recommend a nice Parmigiano Reggiano.
How to Make Pork Sugo
- Sear the Pork: Preheat an oven to 325°F. Pat the pork dry, season with salt and pepper, then heat oil in a large pot. Sear the pork in batches until deeply browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Sauté the Aromatics: To the same pot, add chopped onion. After a few minutes, add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Deglaze the Pot: Pour in white win, scrape up any browned bits, then allow the wine to reduce slightly.
- Slow-Braise: Stir in crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, herbs, and red pepper flakes. Return the pork and any juices to the pot. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for about 2½ hour, until the pork is tender and shreds easily.
- Finish the Sauce: Remove the herbs, shred the pork directly in the pot, then stir in apple cider vinegar and Parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve: Ladle the pork sugo over pasta, polenta, or baked potatoes. Finish with more Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.
Expert Tips
- Maximize flavor: Don’t skip searing the pork–it adds a caramelized richness to the sauce.
- Deglaze properly: Scrape up the brown bite at the bottom of the pot after adding the wine. This adds incredible depth to the sauce.
- Let it rest: Pork sugo tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop!
Make-Ahead, Storage, & Freezing
Pork sugo can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop. Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing instructions: Freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
This slow-braised meat sauce is rich, flavorful, and perfect for meal prepping or special occasions. If you make this easy Pork Sugo recipe, please let me know by leaving a review and rating below!
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Slow-Braised Pork Sugo (Meat Sauce For Pasta)
Ingredients
- 2 lb pork shoulder cut into 1" pieces
- 1 Tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups dry white wine
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 8 thyme sprigs
- 8 oregano sprigs
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, grated
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Season the pork. Preheat oven to 300°F. Pat the pork dry with paper towels, then season generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Brown the pork. In a large dutch oven or skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork (working in batches, if your skillet isn't large enough to cook the meat in a single layer) and sear on all sides, about 4-6 minutes. Remove pork with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.
- Sauté aromatics. Add chopped onion to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Make the sauce. Pour in crushed tomatoes and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen up any brown bits, then add wine and chicken stock. Return pork to the pot, then bring liquid to a boil.
- Cook the sauce. Meanwhile, tie the thyme and oregano sprigs together with kitchen twine. Add herbs and red pepper flakes to the pot, cover, then transfer to the oven and cook for 2-2½ hours.
- Shred the pork. When pork is fork tender, remove from the oven and let cool slightly. To shred the pork, either remove with a slotted spoon and place in a large mixing bowl or working directly in the pot use two forks to pull the meat in opposite directions.
- Finish the sauce, then serve! Add apple cider vinegar to the pot, then return pork and stir to combine. Serve over pasta, polenta, or baked potatoes, then sprinkle with Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include pasta, polenta, or potatoes.
- Pork sugo can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop. Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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