Wild Boar Ragu Recipe
From:
Peasant
, by
Adapted from Frank De Carlo
Difficulty: Easy |
Total Time:
3 hrs
|
Active Time:
|
Makes:
10 cups
Frank De Carlo, chef at Peasant, turns to this wild boar ragu, served with ricotta gnocchi, when he has a hungry crowd to please. The ragu has a robust wine flavor, which we really liked; if you prefer a mellower taste, reduce the wine to 3/4 cup.
What to buy: Wild boar, also known as cinghiale, is the feral ancestor of the domestic pig. Recent demand for its flavorful, hearty meat has led this porcine wild child to be domesticated and farmed. It’s sometimes difficult to find at your local grocer; you can purchase it online from Broken Arrow Ranch.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds boneless wild boar shoulder, cut into large chunks
- 1 large carrot, small dice (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 ribs celery, small dice (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 4 medium garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 medium fresh bay leaf
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 cup hearty Italian red wine, such as Sangiovese
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth, or brown veal stock
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine boar with carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and red wine in a sealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
- Heat the oven to 300°F and arrange the rack in the middle. Remove meat from the marinade and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reserve marinade for later.
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or a large heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add meat and sear until nicely browned, about 6 minutes per side. (You may have to do this in 2 batches.)
- Add reserved marinade, tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth, and bring to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and place in the oven until meat is fork tender, about 2 hours. When meat is tender, shred it with two forks and mix well. Keep ragu warm over low heat until ready to combine with ricotta gnocchi.
This recipe, while from a trusted source, may not have been tested by the CHOW food
team.
any meat can be used in a ragu try mixing different kinds together the cheaper meats are better for this kind of dish. As it cooks for a long time
Thanks Morganna. I actually found a place here in San Francisco that has wild boar meat (Golden Gate Meat Company) and am going to make this with a friend of mine for Christmas.
You could substitute pork shoulder cubes for the wild boar. Also, you can get wild boar stew meat from D'artagnan or Broken Arrow Ranch, both are relatively reasonably priced, though at this moment, D'artagnan's prices are a bit lower.
Could any other meat be subbed for wild boar?
i tried this recipe and although I liked the taste, I wanted a less liquidy sauce. did others receive the same results? I wanted a sauce that was thicker.
Finding wild boar shoulder is proving difficult...but my butcher does have a wild boar roast. Would that work?
i just had wild boar bolognese at marc vetri's newest palce called osteria in philadelphia and it was the best food i have had anywhere, ever, hands down, and that's a lot of meals in a lot of places. amazing, creamy, completely memorable.
Although I have never made it myself, I am a server at a restaurant in Boston where Chingale is a signature dish. Many guests have never seen it offered and I have explained it hundreds of times. I describe ours as: "Texas farm raised wild boar is brined overnight in sugar and white wine vinegar. This brings an element of 'agro dolce' (or sweet and sour). It is then cleaned off and slow roasted....+READ
Although I have never made it myself, I am a server at a restaurant in Boston where Chingale is a signature dish. Many guests have never seen it offered and I have explained it hundreds of times. I describe ours as: "Texas farm raised wild boar is brined overnight in sugar and white wine vinegar. This brings an element of 'agro dolce' (or sweet and sour). It is then cleaned off and slow roasted. The meat is then pulled off the bone and the chef adds wine, tomato, roasted red pepper and basil. The resulting stew is spooned over giant homemade ricotta and goat cheese ravioli. The dish is garnished with shaved ricotta salada and basil leaves."
When in Tuscany I had a completely different version which was stewed with prunes and served with braised bitter greens. Anyone planning to dine at La Grotta in Montilpuciano- don't miss it!-COLLAPSE
This sounds absolutely fabulous. I love wild boar and do think it would pair very well with the ricotta gnocci, although I wouldn't mind pairing it with a good homemade tagliatelle either. The key is having a substantial pasta. I had a similar dish at Spaggia in Chicago, although it was a veal shoulder ragu over taliatelle. It was one of the best dishes I've ever eaten and I've never been able to...+READ
This sounds absolutely fabulous. I love wild boar and do think it would pair very well with the ricotta gnocci, although I wouldn't mind pairing it with a good homemade tagliatelle either. The key is having a substantial pasta. I had a similar dish at Spaggia in Chicago, although it was a veal shoulder ragu over taliatelle. It was one of the best dishes I've ever eaten and I've never been able to find the recipe. Tony Mantuano, are you listening?-COLLAPSE
I make a Boar Ragu 2X a year.
I like this simple recipe and will try it. I am wondering about the gnocci. I think tagliatelle is the better choice
Da Cook