This simple recipe is becoming one of my favourite pork mince recipes. The addition of chorizo adds a lovely spice and smokiness too. It's a simple recipe to make, bags of flavour and the best bit is you can tuck into this in 30 minutes from start to finish!
sponsored by Moores Hill Estate, Tasmania
Why I Love This Recipe
- cost-effective
- ready in 30 minutes
- freezer friendly
- everyday ingredients
Whether you are cooking for your family, yourself or a group of friends this simple pork mince recipe will tick every box. C'mon, how good does a bowl of pork and chorizo ragu sound!
With a few everyday ingredients, you can whip this up in 30 minutes from start to finish! The recipe is enough to feed 6 people with some pasta or double the amount, freeze some and have an even quicker mid-week meal on the table.
I would go so far as to say that this would be a great dish to serve on a date night too! You can prepare it in advance with little to no effort and wow that special person. Heck, it's that easy you can probably cook it right in front of them and impress them even more 😉
Ingredients Needed For This Recipe
Most of these ingredients are simple every day ingredients we have at home, in the pantry or cupboard. None are particularly expensive and are all readily available in any/all grocery store. I'll add a few substitute ideas below just in case you can't get hold of any of them to whip up this epic pork mince recipe!
- pork mince - I used one with a higher fat content (17%) but if you are more health conscious than me then I believe you can get a 5% fat mince in most stores. Ground up pork belly would also be pretty delish!
- chorizo mince - my local store sells the mince in a packet but you can buy fresh chorizo sausage and remove it from the casings or at worst you can add a little more pork mince and some smoked paprika and chilli flakes to the dish. It won't be excatly the same but in a pinch it'll work and still taste great
- tomato paste & puree - cheap, long lasting shelf life and great for using in many dishes like say, my beef cheek ragu. My advice is always have a few tins at the ready!
- herbs & spices - garlic & thyme is what I added. It's more of a question is 2 cloves enough................. fresh, pre-chopped or even a jar of puree, it will all work. I have fresh thyme growing so I used that but dried herbs will work just as well.
- vegetables - pretty simple here just carrots & onion. Readily available and base for so many stews, pasta dishes and bolognese
- parmesan cheese - this is grated on top to finish the dish. It's not "essential" but to me a good bowl of pasta usually has some grated in top. Pecorino or Grana Padano will also work
- red wine - this is ESSENTIAL to not just the recipe but life!
- stock - I have used a pre-made vegetable stock cube but why not whip your own up and freeze it to save on even more $$. Vegetables trimmings, herbs and water and let it simmer away for as long as you can, it's that simple
Pork and Chorizo Ragu - Pork Mince Recipe!
Mince - it gets a bit of a bad reputation. It's cheap, not particularly fancy and you only use it for things like burgers, lasagna or cottage pie - speaking of which, check out my delicious Beef & Guinness version.
Well, the addition of chorizo instantly takes this up a notch. You see chorizo and you think fancy Spanish stews or hipster brunch dishes so naturally, this pork and chorizo ragu recipe just sounds instantly cooler - right!?
I served my version with pasta but it could be served inside a baked potato with a little creme fraiche on top, with mashed potato or heck even a bowl of chips #classy All I know is that this pork mince recipe is becoming a staple in our home.
How To Make This Pork Mince Ragu Recipe
Here are some images to help you on your way to making this delicious pork mince recipe along with some basic instructions. The full recipe is in the card below so don't forget to keep scrolling!
- Image 1 - blend the vegetables into a puree
- Image 2 - cook off the pureed vegetables in a heavy bottomed casserole dish
- Image 3 - add the pork & chorizo mince and cook, breaking up with your spoon as you cook it
- Image 5 - cook off the tomato paste
- Image 5 - the all important wine
- Image 6 - the consistency it should be when finished
It's a very simple dish made easier by being a one pot wonder - below are a few tips and tricks and always feel free to reach out to me via the contact form on my site or on instagram.
Tips, Tricks & FAQ's
Once again - mise en place. Have everything ready to go before you start cooking and it'll make it a whole lot easier! As you make the pork mince recipe more times (and you will) you will figure out yourself, ways to speed it up and be more efficient!
Use a heavy-bottomed pan - and make sure it's hot. You want it nice and hot so when you cook the pork mince it gets a nice caramelisation to it.
Three reasons. It's quick to do, it cooks quicker and then the consistency of the ragu is even. There are no large lumps of carrots or onion. Also, you could add a little celery in, bulk up the dish and sneak extra veggies into your kid's diet 😉
100% - it's a cracking dish to freeze. Cool it completely and store in an airtight container. When reheating it do so in a saucepan, add some pasta water into it and it will moisten it up a little
You could use spicy pork sausage and remove it from the casing. Or add a little extra pork mince and some smoked paprika and red chilli. Neither of these will be identical but I can promise you they won't taste bad at all!
Pork Mince Ragu Wine Pairing
Another cracker of a wine from Moores Hill Estate. This time we are going a little more medium to full-bodied with a Cabernet-Merlot blend. You may remember some great recipes we did in the past pairing their pinot gris, riesling and pinot noir to name a few. If you don't just look below and you can find some links!
Cabernet-Merlot, also known as a Bordeaux blend as they are some of the predominant wines used in the Bordeaux region of France. These wines can be drunk young but are also built to last. The guys at Moores Hill planted their vines in the late '90s and use a 50:50 blend when making the wine.
On the nose, I get a whole load of fruit cake, brown sugar, herbaceous notes and a touch of tobacco too. The palate offers similar characteristics to the nose with plum, sweet cherries, dried fruit and cakey notes too. It's young and given it tastes this good now I can only expect it to improve in bottle. My advice is to plan this one ahead and decant for 1-2 hours to maximise enjoyment
Alternative Pork Mince Recipes
Inspired by my pork ragu and want to add some more tasty pork mince recipes to your diet? Check out these great recipes from myself and other food bloggers!
- Pork & Prawn Dumplings by Yours Truly
- How To Make Homemade Lorne (Scottish Sausage) by Christina Conte of 'Christina's Cucina'
- Asian Pork Meatballs by Yours Truly
- 15 Minute Thai Basil Pork Stir-Fry by Helen Schofield of 'Scrummy Lane'
- Pork & Black Pudding Burger by Yours Truly
- Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls by Sophie Pham of 'Delightful Plate'
Happy Cooking & Happy Eating Friends!!
Ingredients
- 500 g pork mince
- 200 g chorizo mince
- 1 carrot
- 1 red onion
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 400 g tinned tomatoes
- 125 ml red wine
- 250 ml vegetable stock
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 cloves garlic
- salt & pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- parmesan
- pasta
Essential Tools
- Chef Knives
- Chopping board
- heavy bottomed casserole dish
- large saucepan
- wooden spoon
- cheese grater
- Measuring utensils
Instructions
- Blend the carrot, onion & garlic in food processor
- In a heavy bottomed casserole dish cook the carrot mixture on medium-high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil approx. 2 minutes
- Add both minces and cook until grains are all separated – approx. 5 minutes
- Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute
- Add red wine, tinned tomatoes, stock & thyme and cook for a further 6-8 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to a Bolognese consistency
- Cook the pasta, reserve 125ml of pasta water and then stir in the ragu along with reserved pasta water
- Serve with grated parmesan
Notes
Tips/Tricks
- the ragu is freezer friendly – if freezing it my advice is to cook it a little less so that it’s a little more saucey for when you are reheating it
- adding the starchy pasta water not only thins out the ragu but also helps the sauce to coat the pasta
- if you can’t get hold of chorizo mince then just cut the sausage meat from a chorizo sausage or alternatively use nduja but that’s going to be more spicy!
- if you don’t have a food processor you can chop the veg finely or even grate them finely too – the food processor not only speeds up the process but also allows the veg to blend in with the meat giving you that ragu/Bolognese style look
Thank you for talking about how this is a quick recipe, with everyday ingredients. I am actually starting a new food truck business this year. I will find a great pork chorizo supplier for this as well locally.