wild boar ragu
By Kelly and Brian Bartlett
MARINADE INGREDIENTS:
1.25 lbs boar shoulder meat, cut in 1” cubes (Note 1)
1 T juniper berry
1 sprig rosemary
2 cloves garlic
1 T peppercorns
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1.5 c Tuscan red wineSAUCE INGREDIENTS: 3 stalks celery 2 carrots 4-5 shallots ¼ c tomato paste 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 1-2 c Tuscan red wine 3 sprigs thyme 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley 1 sprig sage Fresh egg tagliatelle or pappardelle pasta (Note 2) Extra virgin olive oil and parsley garnish
Make it.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine marinade ingredients and marinate the meat overnight in the fridge. Drain, reserving the wine for later and tossing the herbs. Pat meat dry with a paper towel and let sit to come to room temperature. Liberally season with course salt. Preheat a braising pan or Dutch oven on the stove top over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and add only enough meat to cover, but not crowd the pan. (Work in batches if necessary, pouring out and replacing the oil in between.) Heavily brown all sides of the meat, then set aside. Pour out any brown, degraded oil but leave the browned crust that formed on the bottom of the pan (“fond”).
In the meantime, use a food processor to finely mince the celery, carrots, and shallots (“sofrito”). Reduce the heat to medium, add a glug of fresh oil to the pan and add the sofrito. Use a wooden spatula and the moisture released from the sofrito to help scrape the fond from the bottom. Continue cooking the sofrito, allowing new fond to form, periodically scraping it up and reforming. These layers of browning are key to deep flavor in the final sauce!
Once the sofrito is browned and sticky, add the tomato paste, similarly browning for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and the reserved wine from the marinade, scraping up any remaining fond. Return browned meat to the pan. Add more fresh wine to the pan until the meat is nearly, but not fully submerged. Tie the herbs together (“bouquet garni”) and place in the pot. Cover and place in a preheated 300°F oven for one hour.
Remove lid and cook for another hour, allowing the sauce to become relatively dry, checking to ensure the liquids don’t fully evaporate. The sauce will be dark and the tips of the meat crispy. Remove and shred meat with two forks and return to the pot, stir. Toss with fresh egg tagliatelle or pappardelle.
Garnish with extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and fresh parsley.
NOTES: Wild boar can be found at specialty butcher shops such as Don & Joe's Meats in Seattle. If necessary, pork shoulder may be substituted, decreasing the required marinade time to as little as 4 hours.