Tuscan Wild Boar Pork Stew Recipe

The wild boar in this stew is a pork leg or shoulder cooked with red wine, rosemary, garlic, and sage to a tender finish.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, green germ removed, minced
• 2 pounds pork leg or shoulder meat, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes (see note)
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 cup hearty red wine
• 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes
• 2 branches fresh rosemary
• 12 good-size fresh sage leaves
• 4 small dried bird's-eye peppers, crushed, or hot paprika to taste (see note)
• 6 thick slices country-style bread
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled

Preparation:

Place the oil, onion, and minced garlic in a large heavy skillet over medium heat and cook until the onion is golden at the edges, about 10 minutes. Add the pork, stir, and cook until it has taken on a slight golden edge, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley and wine, stir, and bring the wine to a boil.

Reduce the heat so that the wine is simmering, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat has absorbed most of the wine, about 25 minutes.

When the meat has "drunk" all but a little of the wine, add the tomatoes and cut them into quarters with a spatula once they are in the pan. Stir to combine the tomatoes and meat, then add the rosemary and sage, nestling them down into the tomato juices, and stir in the peppers. Bring the juices to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook until the meat is very, very tender and has absorbed almost all the tomato liquid, resulting in a sparse but rather thick sauce, about 2 hours. Check the meat occasionally and stir so it does not stick, breaking up the tomatoes into smaller pieces.

About 15 minutes before serving, stir in 1/2 cup water, just to moisten the dish.

Preheat the broiler. While the "scottiglia" (stew) finishes cooking, toast the bread under the broiler and rub each piece with a garlic clove. To serve, place a slice of garlic toast on each of 6 warmed plates and top with the stew. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Note: Use good-quality pork shoulder, checking to be sure it is without an excess of gristle and fat. You may also use boned fresh ham. Red pepper flakes can be substituted for the peppers.

Recipe Source: Italian Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Hermann Loomis (Workman Publishing)
Reprinted with permission.