Pressure Cooker Pork & Beef Ragu Lasagna

By Claude

Recipe overview

90 minutes | 40 minutes | 130 minutes

A serious, meat-forward lasagna built on a whole-cut ragu of pork forequarter and beef short ribs, pressure cooked until falling apart then reduced until glossy and concentrated. Layered with a classic béchamel and finished with mozzarella. This is the kind of lasagna that improves overnight and feeds a crowd.

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Serves:
italian
lasagna
ragu
pork
beef
pressure cooker
comfort food
make-ahead
feeds a crowd

Ingredients

ragu

  • 800 g - pork forequarter cutlets (bone-in)
  • 700 g - beef short ribs (bone-in)
  • 150 g - smoked streaky bacon (cut into lardons, rendered as the base fat)
  • 400 g - tinned crushed tomatoes (1 full tin plus half a tin — about 600g total)
  • 375 mls - red wine (half a bottle — something you'd drink)
  • 2 - onion (finely diced)
  • 2 - carrot (finely diced)
  • 3 stalks - celery (finely diced)
  • 4 cloves - garlic (finely sliced)
  • 2 sprigs - rosemary
  • 4 sprigs - thyme
  • olive oil
  • salt and black pepper

béchamel

  • 60 g - butter
  • 60 g - plain flour
  • 750 mls - full-fat milk (warmed)
  • nutmeg (freshly grated, to taste)
  • salt and white pepper

assembly

  • 12 - lasagna sheets (fresh or no-boil dried)
  • 400 g - mozzarella (low-moisture if possible — tear into pieces, pat dry with paper towel to reduce excess water)
  • 60 g - parmesan (finely grated, for the top)

Instructions

RAGU

  1. Render the bacon. Set your pressure cooker to sauté mode (or use a separate heavy pan if your cooker doesn't sear well). Add the bacon lardons with a small splash of olive oil and cook until the fat has rendered and they're starting to crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat behind.

  2. Brown the meat. Season the pork cutlets and beef ribs generously with salt and pepper. In the same pot over high heat, sear the meat in batches — don't crowd the pan. You want a deep, dark crust on all sides. This is the most important step for flavour. Take your time. Set the browned meat aside.

  3. Soffritto. Reduce the heat to medium. Add a little more olive oil if needed, then the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 10–12 minutes until softened and starting to turn golden. Add the garlic for the last 2 minutes. Tie the rosemary and thyme together with string and add to the pot.

  4. Deglaze. Pour in the red wine and scrape up all the caramelised bits from the bottom of the pot — this is pure flavour. Let it bubble for 3–4 minutes.

  5. Pressure cook. Add the tomatoes, bacon, and all the browned meat back in. The liquid should come about halfway up the meat — if it looks dry, add a splash of water. Seal the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 50 minutes. Allow to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release.

  6. Shred and reduce. Remove the meat and set aside to cool slightly. Discard the herb bundle. Pull the meat off the bones and shred it — it should fall apart easily. Discard the bones. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Set the pressure cooker to sauté mode (or transfer to a wide pan) and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced to a thick, glossy, coating consistency — about 20–30 minutes. Taste and season generously.

BÉCHAMEL

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in the warm milk, starting with a small splash and whisking smooth before adding more. Once all the milk is incorporated, cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season well with salt, white pepper, and plenty of freshly grated nutmeg.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C / 170°C fan (375°F).

  2. Layer. Spread a thin layer of béchamel across the base of a deep 30 x 20cm baking dish. Add a layer of pasta sheets. Spoon over a generous layer of ragu. Ladle over béchamel. Scatter some torn mozzarella. Repeat — pasta, ragu, béchamel, mozzarella — for 3 layers total, finishing with pasta topped with the remaining béchamel and mozzarella. Grate parmesan generously over the top.

  3. Bake. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 20–25 minutes until the top is deep golden and bubbling at the edges.

  4. Rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting. The lasagna will be much better for it — the layers set and it holds together when sliced.