Chef Stefano Secchi — Rezdôra, New York City
A traditional Emilian meat ragù — pork, veal, and prosciutto slow-cooked with a classic soffritto and Parmigiano rinds for 6–7 hours. Finished with just enough tomato to add depth without turning it red. This is the real thing: patient, simple, and rich.
Scale note: All quantities are based on 1kg ground pork. The pork is the anchor — everything else is scaled from it.
| Ingredient | Weight | |—|—| | Yellow onion, minced fine | 200 g | | Carrots, peeled and minced fine | 200 g | | Celery stalks (with leaves), minced fine | 200 g | | Extra virgin olive oil | generous drizzle |
| Ingredient | Weight | Notes | |—|—|—| | Ground pork | 1 kg | the base | | Ground veal | 500 g | for lightness and delicacy | | Prosciutto di Parma, ground or very finely sliced | 500 g | 24-month if available |
| Ingredient | Quantity | |—|—| | Chicken stock, hot | enough to just cover the meat | | Parmigiano Reggiano rinds | 4–5 pieces | | Basic tomato sauce | 120 ml (~½ cup) | | Sea salt | to taste |
1. Soffritto In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add a generous drizzle of EVOO. Add all three vegetables — onion, carrot, celery — and sauté gently until softened and just beginning to turn translucent. Don’t rush this; you want them sweet, not browned.
2. Build the ragu Add the ground pork, veal, and prosciutto directly to the softened soffritto. Stir to combine and distribute evenly.
Pour in enough hot chicken stock to just cover the meat. Nestle the Parmigiano rinds into the mixture.
3. Long braise Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to as low as it will go. Cook uncovered (or partially covered) for 6–7 hours, stirring occasionally, until the ragu is beautifully thick and the fat has re-integrated into the sauce.
The rinds will slowly soften and melt into the ragu, adding body and a deep, savory richness. Remove any remaining rind pieces at the end.
4. Finish Stir in the tomato sauce in the final 30 minutes of cooking. It should barely color the ragu — this is not a red sauce. Season generously with sea salt to taste.
Serve with fresh tagliatelle — the traditional pairing in Emilia-Romagna. A flat, egg-rich ribbon pasta that cradles the ragu without competing with it.
For the dough, use Secchi’s standard egg pasta ratio: 1 whole egg to 3 yolks, scaled to your needs.
As always: the pasta water is what brings it together. Don’t skip it.
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Soffritto | ~15–20 min |
| Build & bring to simmer | ~15 min |
| Low braise | 6–7 hours |
| Add tomato sauce | last 30 min |
| Assembly per portion | ~5 min |
The original Rezdôra recipe uses mortadella in place of veal. Mortadella adds fat, subtle spice, and a particular richness from its emulsified texture. Veal substitutes cleanly in terms of weight and protein but brings a lighter, more delicate flavor profile — closer to a classical Bolognese in the style of Emilia-Romagna, where veal (or sometimes pork and beef combined) is more traditional than pork alone.
If you want to restore the original character, swap the 500g veal back for 500g mortadella, ground or very finely chopped.
Unlike the Massara ragu bianco, there is no blended soffritto here, no long reduction of white wine, no stand mixer. The soffritto is minced and sautéed the old way. The method is almost peasant in its restraint. What does the work is time — and the rinds.
Secchi has described ragù as something he made through college, a late-night ritual for feeding a crowd. This recipe, more than the others, is the one he means.
Rezdôra — New York City Chef Stefano Secchi