Ragú Napoletano

Ingredients

• 3 pounds pork spare ribs, cut into three chunks
• 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch strips
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 8 medium cloves garlic, finely minced, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, preferably D.O.P. San Marzano, crushed by hand in a large bowl
• 1 Parmesan rind, optional
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 1 pound mild sausage, in the casings
• 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
• 8 to 10 servings fresh or dried pasta
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

1. Set an oven rack in the lower-middle position, then heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Sprinkle the ribs with salt and pepper. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until it glints, then put in the ribs. Leave them alone until deeply browned on the first side, 8 to 10 minutes, then turn them and brown the other side, 5 to 7 minutes more. Move the ribs to a plate. Brown the beef the same way, working until it has color on all sides, then place it on the plate with the pork. Put the onions into the empty Dutch oven and cook, stirring often and loosening the browned bits from the bottom, until they are just starting to take on color, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until both the onions and garlic are lightly golden, about 3 minutes more. Add the pepper flakes and oregano, and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and simmer until it has almost disappeared, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the Parmesan rind if using, and 3/4 of the basil. Nestle the ribs and pork back into the pot and bring everything to a gentle simmer.
2. Cover the pot with the lid left a little open, then transfer it to the oven. Cook, giving it a stir now and then, until the rib bones slip easily away from the meat, about 3 hours. Add the sausages and cook for 30 minutes longer.
3. Lift the ribs, beef, and sausages into a bowl. Remove and discard the bones, then let the meat sit until it is cool enough to handle. Pull the basil sprigs out of the sauce and discard them. Tear the rib meat and beef into rough shreds with forks or your hands, then stir the meat back into the pot. Cut the sausages into disks and add them to the sauce as well. Stir in the fish sauce and the remaining olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
4. For serving, boil the pasta in salted water until it is just under al dente, about 1 minute if it is fresh pasta or 1 minute less than the package suggests if it is dried. Drain it, saving about 1 cup of the starchy cooking water. Put the pasta back in its cooking pot, then add half the ragù, half the reserved pasta water, and a handful of grated cheese. Set the pot over high heat and stir until the sauce and pasta water come together and coat the pasta, adding more of the reserved water if you need it. Serve right away, with extra sauce, more cheese, and the remaining fresh basil at the table.