Wild boar is lean meat that combines the best of beef and pork. It has a unique flavour and makes good bacon and ham. A whole animal can be pit or spit roasted.
Young animals are tender and mild in flavour and can be cooked in a variety of ways.
Animals more than one year old have a gamier flavour and are less tender so marinating and moist heat methods such as stewing or braising are recommended.
Boar is low in sodium and is a good source of thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, zinc, selenium and protein. It is also lower in saturated fat than beef.
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The rule of thumb when cooking with boar is low and slow because this breaks down the connective tissue and results in fork tender meat. Overcooking will result in dry meat.
Roasts can be cooked at 275-300 F (135-150 C). The rack, ribs and tenderloin of a young animal can be cooked in the same manner as pork but the other cuts, such as shoulder or neck, are best if braised, ground or diced.
Do not cook or thaw in a microwave because this will toughen the meat. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator and thaw before marinating.
The robust flavour stands up well to aromatic spices and herbs such as sage, juniper berries, marjoram, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and rosemary.
Wild mushrooms, dried fruits like cherries, cranberries and raisins also complement the meat.
The long cooking times along with aromatic spices produce wonderful aromas in the kitchen. A little goes a long way with these rich flavours and portion sizes need not be as large as with other meats.
Wild Boar Tacos
- 5 lb. boneless wild boar shoulder, cut into 2-3 large pieces 2 kg
- 1/2 c. orange juice 125 mL
- 1/2 c. lime juice 125 mL
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp. white or cider vinegar 15 mL
- 1 tbsp. cumin 15 mL
- 1 tsp. dried marjoram 5 mL
- 1/2 tsp. ground allspice 3 mL
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander 3 mL
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Tomato chipotle sauce
- 3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 14.5 oz. canned roma tomatoes 500 mL
- 3-4 chipotle chiles in adobo
- 2 tbsp. adobo sauce (from canned chipotle chilies), optional 30 mL
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil 15 mL
- salt
- corn tortillas
- shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, cilantro and sliced jalapeno peppers
Puree orange and lime juice, garlic, vinegar, marjoram, allspice, coriander, salt, and pepper.
Put the mixture into a resealable plastic bag with the wild boar meat and marinate in the refrigerator at least two hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C).
With aluminum foil, make a sealed packet with the wild boar and some of the marinade. Place in pan.
Cook two to three hours, checking often and turning occasionally.
When fall apart tender, remove from oven and cool slightly, then shred with fingers or two forks, discarding any gristle.
Reserve accumulated juices to add to tomato sauce.
Tomato sauce
In a small, heavy saucepan, roast the garlic in their skins on medium heat until softened and slightly charred, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool, peel cloves and roughly chop.
In blender or food processor, add the roasted garlic, tomatoes, chipotle chilis and adobo sauce and puree until smooth.
In medium non-stick saucepan, heat oil on medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking.
Add the pureed sauce all at once and cook for 10 minutes, stirring until the mixture has thickened slightly. Cool slightly.
Assemble tacos by warming corn tortillas in oven.
Stack two warmed corn tortillas. Place three to four tablespoons of the wild boar meat in the centre and top with warm tomato chipotle sauce and a sprinkling of chopped onions, cilantro, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and optional jalapenos. Fold up like a taco.
Roast Loin of Boar with Juniper Berries
- 3 lb. loin of wild boar, bone in 1.5 kg
- 2/3 c. red wine 160 mL
- 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar 45 mL
- 2 diced carrots
- 1/2 c. diced onion 125 mL
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. dried thyme 5 mL
- 1 sprig fresh tarragon
- 6 whole juniper berries, crushed
- 2 tsp. salt 10 mL
- vegetable oil
Bring marinade ingredients to boil and simmer three minutes. Cool. Score fat on the loin lightly across top and place meat in a deep dish, covering with marinade.
Leave for two or three days, turning the meat twice a day. Remove meat and wipe dry.
Place in a Dutch oven over medium high heat fat side down with added oil, if necessary. Brown meat. Bring marinade to boil in another pot and add to meat.
Cover pan and cook in a slow oven 300 F (150C) for 2 1/2 hours. Add stock as necessary so pan does not go dry. When tender, place meat in a serving dish. Skim fat from sauce and bring to a boil. Serve with meat.
Wild Boar Ragu
- 1 large Spanish onion (chopped)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil 30 mL
- 2 lb. boneless wild boar meat, cut for stew 1 kg
- 1 can chopped tomatoes 320 mL
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 c. red wine 250 mL
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 dried chili peppers (crushed)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 whole cloves
- 3 sundried tomatoes
- 3 anchovies or 1 tsp. anchovy paste 5 mL
- fresh or dried oregano, basil, and sage
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar 15 mL
- salt and black pepperto taste
- pasta pappardelle, fettuccine or penne
- grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
What are chipotle peppers?
- Chipotle peppers are jalapenos that have been dried and smoked.
- Chipotle peppers can be purchased dried or canned in red tomato sauce or as chipotle powder in the spice section at the grocery store.
- It takes about 10 kilograms of jalapeno peppers to make one kg of chipotle peppers.
In a large cast iron pot, heat oil and brown meat. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add canned tomatoes and bay leaves.
Add wine, garlic, dried chili, cinnamon stick, cloves, sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, basil, sage, red wine vinegar, salt and black pepper.
Simmer on low on stove top and stir occasionally for at least two hours. The ragu is ready to eat when meat is fall apart tender and most of liquid has been absorbed.
Take out cinnamon stick and bay leaves before serving.
Serve over pasta and top with grated cheese. Adapted from Epicurious.
Wild Boar Ribs
- 1 tsp. salt 5 mL
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 3 mL
- 1 tsp. ground cloves 5 mL
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 10 mL
- 1 tsp. ground allspice 5 mL
- 2 tsp. dried oregano 10 mL
Mix ingredients together and rub ribs with mixture. Let sit overnight or at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Place ribs in covered pan or seal with aluminum foil. Roast about two hours or until tender.
Serve with basmati rice and a lightly dressed green salad.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and farmers’ market vendor at Swift Current, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. Contact: team@producer.com.
