Deliciously rich and comforting, this Slow Cooker Pork & Sage Ragu is one of my new favourite recipes. This recipe needs minimal effort but is the perfect dish for a cold evening.
What is ragu?
A ragu is an Italian dish usually served with pasta. It is a meat-based sauce which also includes vegetables.
The most common meat used is beef, but ragu can be made using pork, chicken, lamb and duck.
Pork and sage are the perfect match
Pork and sage are flavours that work incredibly well together.
Pork is a meat that goes really well with a lot of herbs. But sage is my go-to herb to pair with pork.
If you love the pork and sage flavour combination make sure you check out my Mustard & Sage Sausage Rolls.
Why use two cuts of pork?
I chose to use two cuts of pork for this Slow Cooker Pork & Sage Ragu. The two cuts add a great texture to the recipe.
Pork mince is a great choice of meat for ragu as it breaks down in the sauce and coats the pasta nicely.
You can buy ground pork with different fat content. I prefer to buy the lean pork mince with around 5% fat. You do not need the extra fat content for a recipe like this. Lean pork mince is slightly more expensive so use whichever you prefer.
I also chose to add pork shoulder to this ragu to add a different texture to the ragu. When shredded the shoulder is so tender and melts into the sauce.
Do I have to brown the pork mince?
Personally I really do think you need to.
If you don’t brown the pork mince before adding it to the slow cooker, it will have a different texture. I actually find the texture quite unpleasant but I know some people don’t have a problem with this.
Browning the mince gives the finished dish the same texture as if you’d cooked it in a pan. This is the texture I like and want to achieve.
Using a combination of fresh and dried sage
I have used a mix of fresh and dried sage because I like using fresh herbs when I can. But like the convenience of dried herbs.
If you don’t have fresh sage, you can just use dried. I would add two teaspoons and then add more towards the end of cooking if you would like to. You can also use all fresh sage if you would like.
How long does this ragu take to cook?
One of my favourite things about using a slow cooker is you can adjust how long dishes cook for. If you are in more of a rush, you can set it to high. Whereas if you have more time you can set it to low.
This Slow Cooker Pork & Sage Ragu will cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for up to 9. This makes it great for preparing in the morning before work. You can then come home to your house smelling delicious.
Keep your parmesan rinds!
I always keep the rind of the Parmesan once I have finished using it. It is fantastic for adding to dishes like this to add more delicious flavour.
I can’t remember where I read to do this, but it is apparently common in Italian cooking.
Make sure you take it out before serving as it will have done it’s job of imparting flavour into the dish.
Can I freeze this Slow Cooker Pork & Sage Ragu?
This ragu freezes really well.
When I am using my slow cooker, I always make at least four portions so I have leftovers to freeze for a quick and easy midweek meal.
If you are freezing leftovers, make sure you put them in the freezer within two hours of the dish finishing cooking.
When you want to defrost the Pork & Sage Ragu, leave it in the fridge to defrost for eight hours or overnight.
I prefer to heat it through on the hob as you can add more liquid or turn the heat up if it needs reducing. You can also reheat it in the microwave. Make sure the ragu is piping hot before serving.
What to serve this Slow Cooker Pork & Sage Ragu with
I like to serve this ragu with rigatoni as I like the way the sauce sticks to the ridges in the pasta. You can obviously serve it with whichever pasta you like.
If you don’t want to serve it with pasta, you could serve this Slow Cooker Pork & Sage Ragu with rice or soft polenta. Polenta is a common accompaniment to ragu in Italy.
I do recommend serving this ragu with a grating of Parmesan.
If you would like to make it a bit more of a feast, you could serve my Garlic & Parsley Dough Balls.
Other recipes you might like
- Ravioli Lasagne
- Slow Cooker Pork & Mustard Stew
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Bolognese Sauce
- Comforting Pork & Paprika Goulash Bake
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Slow Cooker Pork & Sage Ragu
Deliciously rich and comforting, this Slow Cooker Pork & Sage Ragu is one of my new favourite recipes. This recipe needs minimal effort but is the perfect dish for a cold evening.
Ingredients
- 500 g pork mince (lean)
- 300 g pork shoulder steaks (approx 2 steaks)
- 400 g tinned tomatoes (1 tin)
- 1 onion diced
- 250 g carrots peeled and diced
- 2 sticks celery
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 2 tsp fresh sage
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 250 ml chicken or vegetable stock
Instructions
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Brown the pork mince either in the slow cooker pan on the hob (if your slow cooker allows) or in a pan. This will take up to 5 minutes
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Add the pork shoulder steaks on top of the browned mince
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Peel the onion and carrots and dice them finely along with the celery. Add to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients
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Stir thoroughly and allow to cook on high for 5-6 hours
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Take the pork shoulder out of the slow cooker and shred it before adding it back. Stir thoroughly.
Recipe Notes
Do not skip the browning of the mince step as it will alter the texture of the final dish.
If you have any Parmesan rind, add this to the slow cooker before cooking.
Nutritional information is given as a guide only.
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Monika Dabrowski says
Great recipe! Delicious and easy. I’d make a big batch on Friday and eat it the entire weekend! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare
Curly says
Haha I hadn’t thought of that! Thanks 🙂
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
Virtual high five on the pork, girl! Pork shoulder is just glorious in a ragu like this. What a fantastic midweek meal!
Corina Blum says
It looks delicious and I especially like how you’ve included 2 different types of pork. It’s a lovely idea to have the shredded pork as well as the mince. Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice!
Curly says
Thanks, double pork is the only thing better than pork in my opinion!
Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says
Fantastic and family pleasing, low maintenance meal and I really like your addition of pork shoulder steaks. Beef and pork work so well together and with all the sage it sounds absolutely delicious. I will have to give this one a go as we would all love it! x
Curly says
I have been thinking of trying a beef and pork ragu, but decided to just leave this as pork 🙂 Thanks Jo x
Jane Saunders says
This is perfect for my family where 3/4 of us miss a good ragu because the remaining person does not eat beef. This is the answer to our prayers. This pork version looks lovely and rich & I love the sage in there too.
Curly says
Oh fantastic! I hope the non beef eater will like this pork alternative! Thanks 🙂
Mandy says
Perfect warming recipe for the cold evenings that are soon going to arrive!
Curly says
My thoughts exactly Mandy 🙂
Lucy says
Well you know how much I love my slow cookers so this is the perfect recipe for me. We hardly ever have pork so this will be a lovely dish for us to try!
Curly says
I hope this broadens your pork horizons haha.
Julia Frey says
You can’t go wrong with a good ragu recipe! It’s always needed and always a huge hit with the family!
Curly says
You really can’t!
Nickki says
What a delicious, warming dinner. I recently cooked pork shoulder steaks for the first time and I was kicking myself for not trying them sooner! The meat is so tender.
Curly says
Ooh delicious! I can’t get enough of pork!