Cinghiale in Umido alla Piemontese
A rich, slow-braised wild boar stew from the Langhe hills, simmered with robust red wine, juniper berries, and fresh rosemary until meltingly tender.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 140 min
- Total
- 165 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 540 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy casserole or Dutch oven
- •Chef's knife
- •Wooden spoon
- •Large bowl
- •Tongs
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 540 kcal
- fat
- 28 g
- carbs
- 8 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 56 g
- calories
- 540 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the wild boar chunks into a large bowl with half the red wine, bay leaves, and half the crushed juniper berries to marinate for two hours.
- 2
Remove the meat from the marinade, discard the liquid and aromatics, and thoroughly pat the chunks dry with kitchen paper.
- 3
Heat the olive oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat.
- 4
Brown the meat in batches until deeply caramelised on all sides, then transfer to a warm plate.
- 5
Lower the heat to medium and add the diced onion, carrot, celery, and crushed garlic to the pot.
- 6
Cook the vegetables for eight minutes until soft and sweet, stirring frequently to scrape up browned bits.
- 7
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for two minutes until it darkens to a brick-red colour.
- 8
Return the browned meat to the casserole with the rosemary sprigs, remaining juniper berries, and remaining fresh red wine.
- 9
Simmer vigorously for five minutes until the wine reduces by half and the alcohol aroma dissipates.
- 10
Pour in the beef stock, season with salt and pepper, and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
- 11
Cover with a tight-fitting lid and braise over very low heat for two hours until the meat is fork-tender.
- 12
Uncover and simmer for ten minutes until the sauce thickens into a glossy, rich coating.
Chef's tips
Patting the meat thoroughly dry before searing is crucial to ensure deep browning rather than steaming. If wild boar is unavailable, standard pork shoulder makes an excellent and tender everyday substitute without needing the preliminary marinade.
Ingredient substitutions
- wild boar shoulder → pork shoulder, cut into 4cm chunks
- Barbera red wine → any dry, full-bodied red wine like Syrah or Nebbiolo
Storage
Store the cooled stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered saucepan over low heat, adding a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Crowding the casserole during searing, which causes the meat to boil in its juices instead of browning.
- •Boiling the stew over high heat rather than maintaining a gentle simmer, resulting in tough meat.
- •Skipping drying the marinated meat thoroughly, which prevents proper caramelisation.
Serving suggestions
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