Ragù of Wild Boar or of Pork with Boarish Pretentions
Wild boar ragù is a fall and winter classic in Tuscany, where the animals are stalked by passionate teams of huntsmen and their dogs through the oak and chestnut forests throughout the cold months of the year. We don’t usually see the hunters, but we hear them all day—yapping dogs, Italian curses hurled into the chill air, and wild eruptions of shotgun fire—from dawn to just before sundown.
Wild boar has a darker flavor than domestic pork, and when the animal is truly feral, the meat is often musky and tough. Marinating in red wine is a traditional way to tenderize the meat and pull the funkiness out. The boar available in the United States is farm-raised and less wild-tasting, but we still like to marinate the meat to build the distinctive flavors of the ragù.
If you can find neither wild nor domestic boar, you may be just as happy making this with ordinary pork. Two pounds should be plenty to make 6 servings, but if the meat comes with bones attached (and they are a great flavor builder), count on 3 pounds. And if the butcher will include a piece of the skin or rind of the pork, called cotiche or cotechino in Italian, so much the better—it will add its own gelatinous richness to the stew (discard the rind before serving).
You’ll note that this is different from the usual ragù in which vegetables are cooked, then meat added, to create softer, more delicate flavors. Here we sear the meat, then brown the vegetables in the residual fat to build up robust layers. This is not a quick dish to throw together just before dinner. Think of it as a three- or even four-day process, with a little bit of cooking each day and a lot of waiting in between. The ragù will be all the better for taking your time.
Traditionally this is served over freshly made pappardelle or tagliatelle, but you could also use sturdy rigatoni or penne rigate. You might also combine the ragù with partially cooked pasta, top it with grated cheese and bread crumbs, and bake it in a 350ºF oven for 20 to 30 minutes (see Pasta al Forno con Ragù e Ricotta, here).
Much of the pork available in North America comes from animals raised in infamous CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), with all that means in terms of animal and human health; be sure the pork you consume comes from animals raised only in a healthy, unconfined environment, preferably animals that are pasture-fed and unmedicated.
SERVES 6
FOR THE MARINADE
8 juniper berries
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium carrot, sliced thick
1 celery stalk (preferably dark green from the outside), cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, crushed with the flat blade of a knife and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, cut into chunks
1 medium shallot, cut into chunks
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 bay leaves
2½ cups robust dry red wine
FOR THE RAGÚ
2 pounds wild boar shoulder, cut into large chunks; or about 3 pounds wild boar with the bone
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste, preferably double concentrate (doppio concentrato), imported from Italy
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced thin
1 fat garlic clove, crushed with the flat blade of a knife and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
Sea salt
Leaves from 1 rosemary sprig, chopped (1 teaspoon)
One 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, with their juice
First, prepare the marinade: Combine the juniper berries, coriander, and peppercorns in a mortar and pound gently to crack the seeds and release their flavors. Add to a saucepan with the oil and set over medium heat. As the aromatics warm up, add the carrot, celery, garlic, onion, shallot, rosemary, and bay leaves, stirring all the while. When the vegetables start to sizzle slightly, add the wine and bring to a simmer. Let simmer very gently for about 5 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature or a little warmer.
Trim the pork pieces, if necessary, but don’t cut off any bones. Slice any rind or skin off the meat, but keep it to add separately to the marinade. Put all the wild boar pieces, including the rinds, in a bowl, and when the marinade is cool, pour it over the meat. Cover the bowl and set aside in a cool place to marinate for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours, turning the meat periodically in the marinade.
When you’re ready to start cooking the ragù, remove the meat from the marinade and dry it well on paper towels. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil to a heavy saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Brown all the pieces of meat, including any rind, in the pan, turning frequently to brown well on all sides. Don’t try to do all this at once—if the pan is too crowded, the meat will steam instead of browning. As the pieces brown, remove them from the pan and set aside.
While the meat is browning, strain the marinade and discard the vegetables and aromatics. Set the marinade in a small saucepan over medium-low heat to warm. As it warms, stir in the tomato paste.
Chop together the carrot, celery, garlic, and onion.
When all the meat is nicely browned, you may find you have a lot of burned fat in the pan. In that case, tip the burned fat out and add a tablespoon or two of fresh oil. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the chopped vegetables and about 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits, until the vegetables start to soften. Then return the meat to the pan and stir all together.
Measure the reserved marinade and add water if necessary to bring it to 2 cups. Pour the liquid into the pan with the meat and vegetables. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook at a very low simmer for about 2 hours. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool and let the fat rise to the top. (Pork shoulder may release a lot of fat; a little fat is good for you, but too much can spoil the dish.) Remove as much of the fat as you can and discard it. Also discard the pork rind or skin if you have used it, along with any bones—they should pull away from the meat easily.
Return the stew to medium-low heat and add the tomatoes, breaking them up in your hands or using the side of a spoon. Cover once more and cook again for another hour. If you have time, let the stew cool, then gently break apart the meat chunks, shredding them into the rich thick sauce to make a real old-fashioned country-style ragù. It is now ready to serve, but it may be kept, refrigerated, for several days before using.