Pork and Mushroom Ragu is a versatile dish that’s smoky in flavour, creamy in texture, and very hearty with tender chunks of pork and the deep woodiness of the sautéed mushrooms. This ragu is perfect served with steamed rice, or piled onto a bed of your favourite pasta noodles!
Add the pork pieces to a large bowl, along with 2 tablespoons of the paprika, the salt, and the pepper. Toss the evenly coat each piece of pork.
In a Dutch oven, add a little olive oil and turn the heat to medium. Sear each piece of pork on all sides until deep brown in colour. This process will take about 5 minutes. Allow the pork to sear untouched for at least 2 minutes per side to obtain a good sear. Transfer the pork pieces to a clean bowl and set aside. (Avoid overcrowding your pan – sear the pork pieces in batches. You may need to add a little bit of olive oil to the pan before each new batch.)
When all of the pork has been seared, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and toss in the sliced mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until they are done really well – they should take on a very dark brown/black colour. Transfer the mushrooms to the same bowl as the pork and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add the chopped onion. Cook the onion for 5 minutes or so. Add the garlic, the last two tablespoons of paprika, and thyme. Stir into the onions and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes and soup stock. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the pork pieces and the mushrooms to the pan. Stir to combine and place the lid on the pot. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes.