Sanglier is an extremely healthy meat, and this Ragu is very easy. Meltingly tender wild boar, stewed in rich tomato and red wine sauce.
INGREDIENTS
1 kg Wild boar shoulder meat chopped into 2cm chunks
flour for coating – seasoned with salt and plenty of pepper
Olive oil for frying
100g bacon lardons
1 large onion – peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves – peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots – peeled and finely diced
2 teaspoons juniper berries, lightly crushed in a pestle and mortar
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of rosemary
4 sage leaves
500ml red wine
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 teaspoons caster sugar
2-inch strip of orange rind
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 150C
Heat the oil in an ovenproof, heavy-based pan or casserole over a low-medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic.
Season the flour with salt and pepper. Lightly coat the wild boar chunks in the seasoned flour. Add some olive oil to a separate pan over a high heat and add the wild boar pieces. Fry until the meat is golden brown on all sides, you may have to do this in batches.
When the vegetables have softened, add the bacon lardons, bay and sage leaves, rosemary, juniper berries and orange rind to the pan. Cook for about five minutes until the bacon lardons and the vegetables have browned a little around the edges
Add the browned boar meat to the vegetables. Pour the red wine into the frying pan used to brown the meat. Cook over a medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any charred bits of meat.
Add the tin of chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and sugar to the ragu and stir it through. Cook for two minutes stirring regularly to avoid burning.
Pour the warm wine into the ragu, and add approx 150ml of water and bring to a simmer.
Put the lid on the pan and place in the preheated oven for at least 2 hours, or until the meat is meltingly tender and the liquid reduced. Check once or twice in this time and stir to prevent the meat on the surface drying out.
Serve it with any pasta, polenta or creamy mashed potato
Caro writing in the wall Street Journal
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