As fall approaches I have recently been experimenting with hearty, delicious dishes that pair with polenta. After exploring a number of recipes online, I decided on a very simple combination of ingredients: sausage, pork ribs, onions, and canned tomatoes.

It is very easy to make polenta. There are 2 types I recommend: Bramata and “instant” polenta. The former is firmer and takes about 45 minutes to cook, and I like it better. Instant polenta is still good, but it is less firm and takes about 8 minutes to cook.

Ingredients

For the Ragu:

  • 4 lbs. pork ribs.
  • 4 – 5 Italian sausages sliced in medallions.
  • 1 cup of white wine, preferably a pinot grigio.
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped.
  • 1 and ½ boxes of Pomï chopped tomatoes.
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed.
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil.
  • 1 – 2 Calabrian red peppers, minced.
  • ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese. You can also use Parmigiano, but I prefer the sharper, saltier flavor of Pecorino. Both are great.
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Note: This recipe for ragu serves 8 people.  If you have four people, use 250 grams of polenta and save the rest of the ragu to be used as a pasta sauce.

For the Polenta:

  • 250 grams of polenta for 4 people; 500 grams of polenta for 8 people.
  • Water in a ratio of 4 to 1 (1000 ml of water for 250 grams of polenta; 2000 ml of water for 500 grams of polenta)
  • Salt to taste.

Preparation

Preparing the Ragu

  1. In a large pot (cast-iron or enamel pot best), combine the ribs, chopped sausages, 2 cloves of smashed garlic, the hot pepper, and olive oil to cover by about ¼ inch.  Brown the meat on one side, about 3-4 minutes.  When you turn the meat over, add the chopped onion and let it saute another 3-4 minutes.
  2. Add 1 cup of white wine. Turn down the heat to medium and allow the alcohol to evaporate.
  3. Add the 1 and ½ boxes of Pomï tomatoes to the pot, then add salt and pepper.  Stir well.
  4. Cover, and allow to cook on simer/low heat for 2 hours.
  5. Remove the cover and stir. Allow some liquid to evaporate by continuing to cook on low for abut one hour or simmer/low heat.
  6. Add a handful of fresh basil leaves about 15 minutes before you turn off the heat.

Preparing the Polenta

Both the Bramata and the instant polenta are prepared in the same way.

  1. 500 grams of polenta, which you will let slowly fall into 2  liters of simmering water with one handful of salt in a pot. The best pot is a Paiolo pan, which made of copper and has a wooden handle. As the polenta falls in the water, mix with a whisk. Keep mixing for a minute or two.
  2. Lower the heat, making sure the water does not boil, and keep mixing for a minute or two –lower the heat, be sure the water does not boil, then use a wooden spoon to continue to mix the water with the polenta,.
  3. Once the polenta falls from the side of the pot and becomes a ball in the center of the pot, it is ready (4Dr. Carbone prepares to serve polenta with ragu5 minutes) for the Bramata. For the instant polenta, after 8 minutes it is done, no matter what.

Serving the Ragu with the Polenta

  1. When the polenta is ready, pour it onto a large cutting board or serving dish, shaping it into a circle. Make an indentation in the center of the polenta, then pour the ragu onto the polenta.  Add the grated Pecorino cheese and serve.
  2. Buon appetito!

Suggestion: If you cook the polenta Bramata, be sure to have a friend in the kitchen who can take turns with you mixing the polenta—and yes, you should constantly mix the polenta, this is why lazy people invented the instant polenta!