Wild Boar Ragù
A classic Italian dish - wild boar ragù
Ingredients
- 500 g Wild Boar stewing steak Cut into 2cm cubes
- 70-100 g Smoked Pancetta Or smoked bacon. Cut into 1/2cm cubes
- 1 medium Onion Finely chopped
- 2 medium Carrots Peeled and finely diced
- 2 sticks Celery Finely diced
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 tsp Juniper Berries Crushed
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 500 ml Red Wine
- 2 tsp Tomato Puree
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
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Pre-heat the oven to 150C
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Season the flour with salt and pepper
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Toss the wild boar in the seasoned flour
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Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and brown the wild boar in batches
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Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a heavy based casserole and soften the vegetables over a medium temperature
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Add the pancetta, bay leaves and juniper to the vegetables and continue to cook until the pancetta is well cooked and the fat has started to render
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Add the browned wild boar to the casserole and stir through the wine and tomato puree
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Bring to a gentle simmer and cook on the stove top for 5 minutes or so
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Stir well and then cover the casserole and put it in the oven to cook for 2 or 3 hours until the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced
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Check the casserole every half hour or so,stir and top up with extra wine or water as necessary.
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Once the meat is really tender pull it gently apart with a fork to create a thick ragù
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Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary
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Serve with pasta or polenta, topped with grated parmesan if you like
Recipe Notes
If you are using older wild boar, you may like to marinate your meat overnight before cooking. You can make a simple marinade with 2 tbsp olive oil, 500ml wine, a couple of bay leaves, pepper and some crushed juniper berries. Put the cubed boar into a dish, cover with the marinade and then cover the dish and put in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to cook, drain the marinade off the meat and pat it dry with kitchen roll or an old, clean tea towel.