Chef's Recipes

Pork ragù pizza

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for pork ragu pizza from Cipro in Sydney.

By Catherine Adams, Khan Danis & Angel Fernandez
  • 45 mins preparation
  • 5 hrs 40 mins cooking plus standing, resting, proving, curing, cooling
  • Serves 8 - 10
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Pork ragù pizza
"The pizze at Cipro are inspired by our experience in Rome. I always wanted to do a Neapolitan-style pork ragù, ever since I had it as a main course at La Disfida in Haberfield, and I thought it would be great as a topping. It comes out creamy and rich - quite unexpected and unique," says Khan Danis. You'll need to start this a day ahead to make the pizza dough.

Ingredients

  • semolina, For dusting
  • 130 gm ricotta salata, finely grated
  • rocket leaves dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, To serve
Pizza dough
  • 560 gm baker’s flour
  • 450 ml still bottled water, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp dried yeast
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Pork ragù
  • 40 gm fine sea salt
  • 500 gm each pork shoulder and pork belly, cut into 5cm pieces
  • 125 ml extra-virgin olive oil (½ cup)
  • 500 gm pork sausages (about 5 thick sausages), cut into 3cm pieces
  • 250 gm prosciutto ends (see note), cut into 5cm dice
  • 1 large Spanish onion, quartered
  • 7 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 500 ml chicken stock (2 cups)
  • 2.5 kg canned San Marzano tomatoes

Method

Main
  • 1
    For pizza dough, mix flour and water in a bowl, cover and stand for 15 minutes. Add yeast and mix for 1 minute, then add oil and 2 tsp fine sea salt and mix for 2 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover and set aside (10 minutes). Turn onto an oiled surface and flatten into a rough rectangle with your hands. Stretch the edges of the dough out, fold over and back in on itself, return to oiled bowl and set aside to rest (10 minutes). Repeat twice, then refrigerate until doubled in size (8 hours-overnight). Bring to room temperature 1½ hours before using.
  • 2
    For pork ragù, sprinkle pork shoulder and belly with salt and refrigerate to lightly cure (4 hours). Heat oil in a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat, cook pork, sausage and prosciutto in batches until browned (4-6 minutes), then remove from pan and set aside. Add onion and fry until softened (2-3 minutes), then remove and discard, add garlic and stir occasionally until fragrant (1 minute). Deglaze pan with stock, add tomatoes and meat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 5 hours. Season to taste and set aside to cool completely. Remove meat with a slotted spoon. Shred meat (discard bones), cut the skin from the pork belly into small pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Add 80ml ragù sauce (reserve remainder for another use) and mix to combine.
  • 3
    Preheat oven to 240C. Dust a 52cm x 32cm baking tray with semolina, press pizza dough to cover tray (you may need to let the dough sit for a few minutes to relax). Spread pork ragù over dough, then bake until pizza base is lightly browned and crisp (15-20 minutes).
  • 4
    Cut pizza into slices, scatter generously with ricotta salata and dressed rocket leaves and serve.

Notes

Note Prosciutto ends are available from select delicatessens.
Drink Suggestion: A good Montepulciano. Drink suggestion by Penny Watson-Green