This spicy braised pork arrabbiata (pork all’arrabbiata) cooks low and slow in the oven until fork tender, with a tomato gravy and lots of red pepper flakes.

pork arrabbiata on plate with mashed potatoes and spinach

This spicy braised pork arrabbiata starts with an economical pork shoulder roast and cooks low and slow with fire-roasted tomatoes, red wine and a healthy dose of red pepper flakes. This spicy fire braised pork is where the “Arrabbiata” (translated from Italian it means “angry”) name comes in.

This versatile, spicy angry pork can be served as I have here, with Parmesan mashed potatoes or over pasta or polenta. You could also swap out the mashed potatoes for a cauliflower mash.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Pork – this pork arrabbiata starts with an economical pork shoulder roast. If bone-in, just get a slightly heavier one to account for the weight of the bone. In either case, I always cut off any large fat cap on the roast, then cut out the meatiest bits and then cut into chunks as needed. You want some fat, but generally you want to leave most of the larger pieces of fat behind. If using a bone-in pork shoulder, cut around and discard the bone part before cooking.

Red Wine – use any red wine you would enjoy drinking.

Fire-Roasted Canned Tomatoes – Fire-roasted tomatoes add great flavour to this dish. I love the Muir Glen brand, which are quite easy to find in both Canada and the US. If you can’t find, regular canned diced tomatoes are fine.

Red Pepper Flakes – Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your taste. Adding 1/2 tsp will give you mild heat. 1 tsp is moderate or add 1 1/2 tsp for a good bite.

Recipe Tips

When cooking pork shoulder, you will inevitably need to deal with some of the fat that cooks off. Here’s a neat trick for scooping it off easily!
Use a spoon to move the pork mixture into a pile on one half of the pot. Let stand 5 minutes or so. All the fat should have flowed to the empty side. Scoop off the top of the pile of pork. Make another pile further over. Let stand 5 minutes then remove all the pork, leaving the fat in the pot.

Pork all'Arrabbiata

Making Ahead, Storing and Freezing

If you want to make this ahead, simply cook and refrigerate. Any fat will solidify during the refrigeration and can be easily removed and discarded before re-heating to serve.

Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months.

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pork arrabbiata on plate with mashed potatoes and spinach

Get the Recipe: Pork all’Arrabbiata

Pork shoulder is cooked low and slow with a spicy tomato gravy. Served with Parmesan mashed potatoes, serve over pasta, polenta or cauliflower mash.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the pork:

  • 2 1/2 lb. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 – 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, or regular diced tomatoes

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes (optional):

  • 1 lb yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, about 4 medium
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat an oven to 325F.
  • Season with pork cubes with salt and black pepper. In a large Dutch oven over high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  • Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced to a glaze, about 2 minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes and season with salt and black pepper. Return the pork to the pot, cover with the lid and transfer to the oven. Cook covered in the oven until the pork is tender, about 2 hours. Remove from oven and remove lid. (Mixture should not be too liquidy. If it is, place on the stovetop and heat over medium heat, simmering until thickened.)
  • Remove the fat from the pork: Using a large spoon, move about 1/3 of the mixture into a pile on one side of the pan. You can even elevate the piled end slightly by tucking a pot holder under that end. Let stand undisturbed for 4-5 minutes. The fat from the stew should run into the empty part of the pan, where you can spoon it off and discard. Once the fat is removed, you can use two forks to break up any large pieces of pork for serving.
  • About a half hour before your pork is done, make the mashed potatoes: Peel the potatoes and cut in half. Add to a large pot and fill with water. Add some salt to the water. Add the smashed garlic cloves to the water. Bring to a boil and boil until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Place pot over medium heat on the stove-top. Add the milk and butter to the pot. Mash potatoes with the butter and milk, adding more milk as necessary to make a smooth mash. Add the Parmesan, a healthy sprinkling of salt and lots of freshly ground pepper. Stir to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as needed.

Notes

Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card, where I share some valuable tips, options, substitutions and variations for this recipe!
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Main Course
Author: Jennifer Maloney
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 358kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 410mg, Potassium: 879mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 660IU, Vitamin C: 10.8mg, Calcium: 153mg, Iron: 3.9mg
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