Life is just a boar (wild boar that is)

You cannot buy wild boar in any butchers shop in Spain, even though the country is over-run with the creatures. They cause havoc to plantations and farmers’ fields, and last year, in our local village of Tous, a man was killed by a boar that had wandered into the village.

However, if you know a hunter, then you will be able to get a supply of wild boar meat.

A Few weeks ago, in the village of Valles near Xativa, Valencia, we were invited to a paella party where local hunters had prepared a traditional paella from the meat they had shot on the land. We were intrigued when they told us that they were going to do a wild boar party dish in a few weeks’ time.

We wrote this article so we and others, could find out more about the wild boar, and if you are lucky enough to geld hold of any wild boar meat – how to cook it.

Wild boar (Sus scrofa), also known as wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises. Wild boar are native across much of Northern and Central Europe, the Mediterranean Region (including North Africa’s Atlas Mountains) and much of Asia as far south as Indonesia. Populations have also been artificially introduced in some parts of the world, most notably the Americas and Australasia, principally for hunting. Elsewhere, populations have also become established after escapes of wild boar from captivity.

The term boar is used to denote an adult male of certain species — including, confusingly, domestic pigs. However, for wild boar, it applies to the whole species, including, for example, “wild boar sow” or “wild boar piglet”. Wild boars are also known by various names, including wild hogs or simply boars. In North America they are more commonly referred to as razorbacks or European boars.

The body of the wild boar is compact; the head is large, the legs relatively short. The fur consists of stiff bristles and usually finer fur. The colour usually varies from dark grey to black or brown, but there are great regional differences in colour; even whitish animals are known from central Asia. During winter the fur is much denser.

Adult boars measure 90–200 cm (35–79 in) in length, not counting a tail of 15–40 cm (5.9–16 in), and have a shoulder height of 55–110 cm (22–43 in). As a whole, their average weight is 50–90 kg (110–200 pounds), though boars show a great deal of weight variation within their geographical ranges. In central Italy, their weight usually ranges from 80 to 100 kg (180 to 220 lb) while boars shot in Tuscany have been recorded to weigh up to 150 kg (331 lb). An unusually large French specimen shot in Negremont forest in Ardenne in 1999 weighed 227 kg (550 lb). Carpathian boars have been recorded to reach weights of 200 kg (441 lb). Romanian and Russian boars can reach weights of 300 kg (661 lb), while unconfirmed giants reported in early Russian hunting journals have reportedly weighed up to 320 kg (710 lb). Generally speaking, native Eurasian boars follow Bergmann’s rule, with smaller boars nearer the tropics and larger, smaller-eared boars in the North of their range. Mature sows from Southeast Asia and southern India may weigh as little as 44 kg (97 lb).

Adult males develop tusks, continuously growing teeth that protrude from the mouth, from their upper and lower canine teeth. These serve as weapons and tools. The upper tusks are bent upwards in males, and are regularly ground against the lower ones to produce sharp edges. The tusks normally measure about 6 cm (2.4 in), in exceptional cases even 12 cm (4.7 in). Females also have sharp canines, but they are smaller, and not protruding like the males’ tusks.

Wild boar piglets are coloured differently from adults, having marbled chocolate and cream stripes lengthwise over their bodies. The stripes fade by the time the piglet is about 6 months old, when the animal takes on the adult’s grizzled grey or brown colour.

Wild boar meat is a lean game meat with a rich, almost nutty flavour that far surpasses that of conventional pork. Many cuts of wild boar can be cooked similarly to their equivalent pork cuts, though there are some exceptions due to wild boar’s lower fat content (wild boar shoulders are better braised or ground/diced rather than whole roasted, for example).

Recipes for Wild Boar

Rack of Wild Boar

Spice Marinated Rack of Wild Boar with Pistachio Crust
by Daniel Atwell # 1
Recipe for 1 rack, 8 bone

Red wine marinade:
Small dice 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 3 oregano sprigs, 3 thyme sprigs, 1/8 cup juniper berries, 3 fresh bay leaves, 2 tablespoons Black Peppercorns, pinch of salt, 2 cups red wine, 1 cup dark roasted chicken stock. Bring all ingredients to slow simmer and allow cooking for 5 minutes, placing in refrigerator until chilled.

Pistachio Crust:
Roast ½ cup of Pistachios at 300f for 10 minutes, finely chop and add ½ Panko Bread Crumbs, pinch of salt and crack black pepper. Take the Wild Boar Rack, wrap the bones in plastic wrap and put in the marinade. Be sure the meat is fully immersed. Allow marinading for a minimum for 3 days, each day turning over once.
Remove from Marinade, pat dry and bring to room temperature. Remove plastic wrap and rub the rack with a little sharp mustard, and coat with Pistachio Crust.
Pan Sear in a French Steel Pan with Clarified Butter until Crust is golden brown, turn over and place in 375f oven until fully cooked, 10-15 minutes. Let rest and cut into individual chops, Serve over Garlic Sautéed Baby Spinach and Wild Rice Pilaf

Wild Boar Rack with Barolo Wine Sauce and Polenta

by Claudio Sandri # 2

INGREDIENTS FOR CIVET:
4 LB. OF RACK OF WILD BOAR
1 LEEK.
1 PIECE OF CELERY.
1 ONION.
2 CARROTS
2 CLOVES OF GARLIC.
2 OZ.LARD.
1 PIECE OF ROSEMARY. 1 PIECE OF THYME. 1 BAY LEAVE. 1 PINCH OF CINNAMON. 1 CLOVE.
3 JUNIPER BERRY.
1 QT.OF BAROLO WINE.
1 CUP OF MARSALA.
3 CUPS OF VEAL BROTH.
2 OZ.BUTTER.

INGREDIENTS FOR POLENTA:
1/2 C INSTANT POLENTA
2 C WATER
1 TBLSP GRATED PARMIGIANO REGGIANO
1 TBLSP BUTTER
1 PINCH SALT
1 PINCH WHITE PEPPER
FOR THE CIVET:

FRENCH CLEAN THE RACK OF BOAR,AND KEEP THE SCRAPS AND BONES ON THE SIDE. IN A ROASTING PAN SAUTEE THE CUT VEGETABLES,SCRAPS,BONES SPICES AND HERBS IN THE BUTTER.COVER WITH THE WINE,MARSALA WINE AND BROTH AND COOK SLOWLY FOR 4 HOURS. AT THIS POINT PASS IT THROUGH THE CINOISE AND SET THE SAUCE A PART.
SAUTEE THE RACK OF BOAR MEDIUM RARE ADD THE SAUCE AND SERVE WITH POLENTA.

FOR THE POLENTA:
BOIL WATER AND SLOWLY ADD THE POLENTA , COOK FOR 10 MINUTES THEN ADD PARMESAN, BUTTER, SALT AND PEPPER. KEEP WARM.

HOW TO SERVE:
PUT THE POLENTA ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PLATE, ARRANGE THE SLICED RACK ON THE TOP, DRESS WITH THE SAUCE AND SERVE TOPPED WITH A FRESH ROSEMARY STALK

Tunisian Braised Rack of Wild Boar
by Evan Sabin # 3
frenched 4-6 bone racks of boar

Braise…
honey
ber-ber spice blend
tomato paste
roasted peeled sliced tomatoes
crushed dry erfa
crushed dry marras
fresh squeezed orange juice
zest of oranges
salt, pepper
pork belly cure….
equal parts kosher or sea salt, brown sugar
mollasses
pork belly lardons…..
cure pork for approx. three days, slice thin and bake until crispy
white bean cassoulet….
vegetable stock
house cured pork 1/4 inch cubes
cooked cannelini
diced mirepoix
fresh rosemary
fresh thyme
fresh basil
salt pepper
crushed red pepper flake
braised chard…..
stemmed rainbow chard
julienne red onion
minced garlic

tunisian honey ber-ber braised rack of boar, served over a house cured pork and white bean cassoulet, braised chard, and a pork lardon. Assemble the braise, add the frenched racks of boar, bring to a boil over a open flame, kill the flame cover and place in over. at 400 degrees, until tender, and almost falling off the bones. approximately one hour.

cassoulet, render the diced cubes of house cured pork, add mirepoix and sweat it out. deglaze with veg stock. add white beans and herbs, allow to simmer for ten minutes season, and remove from heat.

braised chard, heat oil, burst red pepper flakes , add sliced red onion, and sweat it out. add rinsed stemmed chard, and stir vigorously, remove from heat at first sign of wilting and continue to toss.

bake lardons…
assembly. cassoulet will be the base, assemble the the braised chard standing up above the cassoulet, with the boar rack propped against the chard. strategically place lardon standing upright inbetween bones, or buried in the chard. aiming for height. appologies for not having a picture, but i promise this is the best boar dish on the market.

Cuban Wild Boar Asado with a Sour Orange Mojo
by Wolfgang Hanau # 4
(6 servings)

This dish requires some advance planning because the key to the tremendous flavor and tenderness of this wild boar asado (roast) is a nice slow long bath in the marinade. The technique to use is to line a large mixing bowl with a plastic bag and place the roast inside the bag. Add the marinade and tie up the bag and refrigerate. Roll the bag over in the bowl to add the marinade to all sides of the wild boar meat.
The Mojo is created with the meat drippings and the marinade, so it is all only one step!

Ingredients:
4 large cloves garlic
3 bone-in Wild Boar French Racks
or 6 lb fresh ham, skin removed and fat intact
Marinade:
1/4 cup fresh sour (Seville) orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Sherry
1 table spoon toasted and cracked black pepper corns
1 tab tablespoon toasted and ground cumin seeds
2 bay leaves, broken
1/4 cup brown sugar
Side dishes:
Rice:
12 cups cooked white rice
1 cup sliced scallions, white and greens
Plantain Chips with Black Bean Dip:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp diced white onions
3 tbsp diced green bell peppers
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp minced fresh oregano
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp sea salt
2 cups cooked black beans
1/2 cup sliced black olives
2 large plantains, made into chips

(peel the green skin from the plantain . Slice crosswise or lengthwise very thin. Soak in cold salted water for 1/2 hour or until ready to fry. Preheat peanut oil to 350 degrees F. Fry until crisp and golden brown: about 1 minute. Pat dry until ready to serve.)

Black bean dip:
For the sofrito I n a sauté pan, heat the olive oil with onions and green pepper. Cook until both are translucent Add garlic, vinegar, turmeric, oregano, cilantro, cayenne and salt. Remove mixture from the heat. Drain the black bans. In a food processor combine the beans ad the olives on pulse. Add the sofrito while still warm. Continue tp purée .

To serve: Serve the black bean dip in a hollowed-out half pineapple with crisp plantain chips on the side.

For the wild boar asado and sour orange Mojo:

Cut 2 of the garlic cloves into slivers. Make incisions in the wild boar racks with a sharp knife and insert garlic into it. Slice the remaining garlic cloves and place in a mixing bowl together with marinade ingredients AND PLACE IN THE PLASTIC BAG, AS EXPLAINED ABOVE . Keep, preferably for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees . Remove the wild boar meat from the bag and the marinade. Place in a Dutch oven or roasting pan , fat side up. Cover and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. . Turn the meat fat side down and cook 1 hour or longer until the meat is almost ready to fall off the bone . Turn the racks or ham back fat side up and uncover the pan.. Increase the heat to 375 degrees and cook for 30 minutes to brown the meat.

Remove the meat from the oven and transfer to a cutting board to rest. Pour the juices from the pan into a gravy separator or a clear glass heatproof container . The fat will rise to the topand the natural sour orange “mojo “will sink to the bottom. When the fat has separated , spoon it off and discard. Warm the mojo in a saucepan and serve in a gravy boat. With 2 forks pull the wild boar meat from the bones, if so desired, and serve with the rice, plantain chips and black bean dip and mojo.

Rack of Wild Boar with Sweet Potato, Apple and Celery Root Puree, Steamed Asparagus and finished with a Roasted Garlic Onion Sauce
by Michael J. Guarino # 5
Serves 4

1 rack of Wild Board (3-4.5 lbs)
12 thin asparagus spears
1 oz of butter
¼ cup of shallots
½ cup of red wine
8 oz demi-glace
3-4 tablespoons of Roasted Garlic-Onion Preserves (recipe follows)
Salt and ground pepper
Roasted Garlic Onion Sauce

Melt butter in a sauce pan and sauté shallots for about 2 minutes (until transparent). Add red wine to deglaze the pan and reduce to an essence. Add demi-glace and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add Roasted Garlic-Onion preserve and cook for another 10 minutes. Just before serving, whisk in the butter.

Roasted Garlic Onion Preserves
10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 medium red onions, thinly sliced
5 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
75 to 80 big cloves garlic, roasted
18 .oz jar orange marmalade
1 cup Currants
½ can tomato paste
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1 cup+ balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon+ sugar
Fresh Ground Pepper about ½ tablespoon (to taste

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium high. Add onions, garlic, ginger salt and pepper, tossing to combine. Once they begin sizzling, turn heat to medium low, cover pan and cook 30 minutes, adding marmalade and currants half way through cooking. Once onions become soft and clear, uncover, raising heat to medium high. Brown the onions. Stir often, scraping up the brown glaze on the bottom of the pan. You may need a little water as they approach being done. Once deep gold, stir in tomato paste and vinegar, cooking it down to nothing.

Rosemary Garlic Marinade
2 oz Extra-virgin Olive Oil
3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
¼ cup red wine
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons of fresh ginger, chopped slightly
Ground pepper
Remove stems from rosemary and combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend only until well mixed.
Sweet Potato, Apple & Celery Root puree
¾ pound of celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 cups+ of milk
¾ teaspoon on kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 ½ tablespoons of white rice
2 small McIntosh apple, peeled, cored, and quartered
2 teaspoons of unsalted butter
2-3 medium sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
Salt and ground pepper

Place the celery root in a medium saucepan and add the milk, ½ teaspoon of salt and a couple of good grinds of ground pepper. Bring to a boil over moderate heat. Stir in the rice, lower heat, partially covered and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the apples and simmer for another 10 minutes longer, or until the celery root is very tender. Drain the mixture in a colander set over a bowl. Save the liquid.

In a food processor (or blender), puree the celery root mixture for 1-2 minutes, until perfectly smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add a little of the milk liquid left over. When almost perfect, add the butter and remaining salt and blend for 30 seconds more.

For the sweet potatoes, peel and cut potatoes into 1 inch pieces, add to medium saucepan and cover with salted water. Cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain potato’s and pass through a food mill for smooth consistency. Add heavy cream, butter, salt and pepper and stir until blended.

Wild Boar
French the rack and clean the meat of all fat. Place Boar in a container (glass roasting dish) that will hold the meat flat and cover with marinade. Place plastic film over container and place in refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight. Heat oven to 325° and cook Boar until a meat thermometer reads 127° (about 45-minutes to an hour). Remove from oven and let it rest about 10 minutes before carving. About 10 minutes before the Boar is done, place Asparagus in steamer and cook for 5 minutes. To serve, place a ½ inch high round mold on the plate and fill with sweet potato. Raise the ring mold up higher and top potato mixture with apple/celery root puree. Cut boar into chops and place two (one on each side of vegetables). Pour Garlic-Onion sauce over half of each chop and top with steamed asparagus.

Autumn-Poached Rack of Boar
by Jeremy Clayman # 6

ingredients:
1 frenched rack of boar (3 lbs.)
brine for boar(recipe follows)
1 head red cabbage (braised, method follows)
1 cup port wine
.5 cup red wine vinegar
.5 cup sugar
4 oz. boiled, peeled pistaccios
roasted butternut squash
12 oz. vegetable stock
1 granny smith apple
4 oz. powdered sugar
8 oz. whole butter
1 oz. fresh thyme
blis maple syrup
salt
white pepper
for boar brine:
1 cup apple cider
.5 cup blis maple syrup
.5 cup salt
.25 cup sugar

cryovac rack of boar (frenched and cleaned)with brine overnight. to cook the rack of boar, remove rack from brine, place in another cryovac bag with 1 oz. whole butter and fresh thyme. place bag into water bath at 55 degrees celsius for 1 hour. while the boar is poaching, continue on with all the garnish.

for red cabbage:
1 oz. vegetable oil
1 head red cabbage
1 cup port wine
.5 cup red wine vinegar
.5 cup sugar
salt and white pepper to taste
2 tbl. whole butter

julienne red cabbage, heat oil in large saute pan (medium-high heat), add cabbage and saute for 3-4 minutes. add port and vinegar, let reduce for 3-4 minutes. add sugar, salt, and white pepper, turn heat to low and let simmer 5 minutes. add butter. keep cabbage hot

roasted butternut squash:
peel squash, remove neck from bulb. cut neck into large dice. in a saute pan, heat vegetable oil and sear squash on all sides, add 8 oz. vegetable stock and 1 oz. butter, season with salt and white pepper, simmer for 10 minutes. remove seeds from bulb of squash and rough chop bulb and any scrap left over from the neck. once large dice is tender, remove from vegetable stock and add rest of rough chopped squash, season with salt and white pepper, boil until soft and puree in blender until smooth. keep both puree and dice hot. Peel apples and cut into eighths (tourne if desired), dust with powdered sugar and sear on medium heat in a saute pan.
when the hour is up. remove boar from bag, sear in hot saute pan, rest for five minutes, then portion into four pieces. garnish plate with veggies, apples, and puree, drizzle with maple syrup. add perfectly cooked boar. enjoy
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