Written by HLRBO Staff|
Last updated
By Lena Stefani
Texas and Italy may be worlds apart, but they share a link in the wild boar. In both places, these animals are overrunning the land and being hunted in turn. When I moved to Texas, I was struck by how many people considered wild boar inedible. That’s changing, and across the state chefs are embracing the boar as a sustainable, flavorful ingredient.
My recipe is a take on a white wild boar Bolognese. It skips tomato sauce in favor of white wine, herbs, and aromatics to let the meat’s earthy flavor shine. I serve it with tagliatelle, but any broad, flat noodle works. It’s a simple dish that connects two cultures, bound by a wild animal that’s both problem and prize.
-- WILD BOAR BOLOGNESE --
- 8 oz pancetta, diced
- 1 white or yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- Olive oil
- 1 lb ground wild boar
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh sage leaves roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cups dry white wine
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock or bone broth
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper
- Juice of ½ lemon (or to taste)
- 1 lb of pasta
- Lemon zest and parmesan to serve
- In a tall saucepan or pot over medium heat, cook the diced pancetta until the fat has rendered. Stir frequently so the pancetta doesn’t burn or stick. Ideally, use a pot large enough to fit the pasta later, so you can finish everything in one pan.
- Once the pancetta is crisp and golden, remove it with a slotted spoon and set it aside. In the fat left behind, add your onions, celery, and carrots. Stir often to keep them from burning. If needed, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- When the vegetables are about halfway cooked down, add the fennel seeds and garlic. If the mixture starts to dry out, drizzle in some olive oil to keep things moving. You’re aiming for the veggies to soften and come together into a nearly paste-like texture. While this cooks, start boiling water for your pasta.
- Add the ground wild boar to the pan along with your chopped aromatics (thyme, rosemary, and sage) plus salt and pepper. Break the meat apart as it cooks until you get a crumbled texture. It’s fine if the vegetables mix in with the meat here. Cook until the meat is lightly browned and keep all of the fat in the pan.
- Pour in the white wine, stock or bone broth, milk, butter, bay leaves, and lemon juice. At first, the liquid might not come together; that’s normal. Keep stirring over medium heat until the sauce starts to blend. While that cooks, add your pasta to heavily salted boiling water. If the sauce reduces a bit, that’s totally fine.
- When the pasta is al dente, reserve about 2 ladles of pasta water before draining. Add the cooked pasta directly into the sauce and stir in the pasta water.
- Keep cooking everything together over medium heat, stirring often so the noodles don’t stick. Let the sauce reduce and cling to the pasta—this might take a few minutes. You can raise the heat to medium-high if needed. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper; this recipe tends to lean a little salty, which works.
- Once the sauce fully coats the noodles, take it off the heat and transfer to a serving dish. Finish with Parmesan cheese and lemon zest to taste.
