Polenta con ragù di cinghiale (polenta with wild boar ragù)

Name: Polenta con ragù di cinghiale (polenta with wild boar ragù)
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 800 g wild boar meat (neck or shoulder), cut into 3 cm cubes; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 onions, finely chopped; 2 carrots, finely chopped; 2 stalks celery, finely chopped; 4 cloves garlic; 3 dl dry red wine; 400 g peeled tomatoes (tinned); 6 juniper berries, crushed; 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs rosemary; for the polenta: 300 g cornmeal (polenta), 1.5 litres water, 1 tsp salt, 30 g butter, 50 g Parmesan; salt, pepper

Time: 3 hr 30 min (about 45 min hands-on)4 servingsapprox. 800 kcal / serving (estimated)approx. 52 g protein / serving

Polenta con ragù di cinghiale is a winter dish from Tuscany and Umbria: wild boar ragù cooked slowly in wine and tomato, served on creamy polenta. Long cooking, little attention — the strong flavour of the game mellows slowly.

Polenta con ragù di cinghiale (polenta with wild boar ragù) (illustration)

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Method

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Pat the meat cubes dry, season with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy pot brown them in the oil in batches over high heat, then transfer to a plate.
In the fat left in the pot, fry the onions, carrots, celery and garlic for 8-10 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
Pour in the wine, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom and boil until reduced by half.
Add the hand-crushed tomatoes, juniper, bay leaves and rosemary, and return the meat. Cook covered over very low heat (or in a 160°C oven) for 2.5-3 hours until the meat practically falls apart. Add a little water if needed.
For the polenta, bring the water to the boil with the salt. Whisking constantly, pour in the cornmeal in a thin stream and cook over low heat, stirring often, for 40-45 minutes until creamy and pulling away from the sides of the pot. At the end stir in the butter and Parmesan.
Remove the bay leaves and rosemary from the ragù. Pile the polenta onto plates and ladle plenty of wild boar ragù over it.

A Receptnaptár original recipe. Calories and protein are estimated.

Tips

Cook the game low and slow so it becomes tender; wild boar is fibrous and tough, and turns silky after about 3 hours.
Juniper berries bring out the gamey flavour nicely, but do not use many — they are strong and slightly bitter.
Stir the polenta often, otherwise it becomes lumpy and catches; quick-cook polenta takes less time.
The ragù is even better the next day, and it can be frozen.

Frequently asked questions

What can replace wild boar?

Venison or pork shoulder also works, but the flavour of wild boar is more distinctive.

Should I add chocolate?

In some regions a cube or two of dark chocolate is stirred into the ragù at the end, which adds depth; it can be left out.

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