Wild Boar Ragu …. Linguine al Cinghiale
March 4, 2010 in Uncategorized
I am very excited to post this yummy recipe. Now that I have finished and done with the drama of the past few weeks i must share this great pasta sauce recipe with all of you. Keith and Elois Vienings of Wild Meats have a regular stall at The Food Market in Durban North and i dash down every market to get something or other. This last market i walked away with – Wild Boar, Kudu carpaccio, boerewors, Venison Fillet and Warthog - very exciting and different cuts of meat. I have been wanting to make a wild boar ragu (meat sauce for pasta) for ages.
The Vienings imported the wild boar from The Black Forest, and farm them in Limpopo. They are free range and enjoy a good life before they land up on our plates. Wild Boar is a favourite in Italy and during hunting season the locals refrain from taking walks in the woods, as the hunters are out there every Wednesday and Sunday, the hunting days with their guns. Wild Boar or Cinghiale (pronounced – chin- gee-aa-lay) is found from the north to the south of Italy and even on the islands of Sardegna and Corsica. The meat is rich and lean and extremely tasty. For those bloggers lucky enough to live in Durban – Wild Meats will deliver here in Durbs on a Friday. The meat is incredibly reasonable too. Contact either Keith or Elois on 082 622 8413 or emal them on elois@vienings.com and they will send you their price list and order form.
Ragu di Cinghiale
1 nice large piece of wild boar (i used the shoulder and it weighed about 2kg)
2 onions finely chopped
3 carrots finely chopped
6 short sticks of celery finely chopped
a bouqet garni – made up of sage, rosemary, bay leaf and thyme
6 large cloves of garlic
2 large tins of peeled tomatoes liquidised
1/2 a bottle of passata of tomato
1 chilli
4 chicken stock cubes
2/3 of a bottle of red wine
lots of freshly ground black pepper
This is saturday afternoon cooking – you need to leave this baby cooking for 6 hours or so.
Long and slow – the idea is that the meat falls off the bone and is broken up into chunks in the sauce.
In your large heavy pot – i hauled out my le creuset baby for this.
So, in some olive oil, brown the meat on all sides and set aside
In the same pot – brown the garlic and onion and then add in the chilli, carrots, celery and herbs.
Give this a good stir – coating the onion, celery and carrots with the olive oil and meat juices.
Now, pour over the bottle of red wine – the best wine you can possibly afford – and bring
it up to the boil. Add the liquidised tomatoes and half a bottle of tomato passata, the chicken stock cubes and
the pepper and bring to the boil.
Return the wild boar to the pan and cook on a high heat for about 1 hour and then reduce to a
very slow simmer …….. for a long long time.
As long as you can …. let it just plop ……….plop until the meat surrenders and falls right off the bone.
Finally – remove the meat and bone and reduce the sauce down by about one third -
break up the chunks of meat and return them to their tomato bath.
Boil a pot of water and cook your favourite pasta …. some like short pasta like penne or rigatone, some like
long pasta like spaghetti or linguine.
We made this pasta with linguine – and it went down like a treat.
Buon Appetito!!
Jan
xx
Check out http://www.thefoodmarket.co.za/Recipes/tabid/60/Default.aspx
and have a look at my Summer Sunday Diva Fillet of Beef Platter – i shall be using my
beautifu Venison fillet in this recipe.
Now all i need do is find an awesome Warthog recipe … i am thinking Cointreau and …..
Zabwan said on March 4, 2010
wow! sounds divine, that recipe is like some magical ritual
ninatimm said on March 5, 2010
I have tasted wild boar once before and I can just imagine how rich this ragu must have been …
janicetripepi said on March 5, 2010
Morning Nina, getting up at this time is one way to deal with all your chores hey! Thanks, yes wild boar has such a deep and rich flavour .. i would really like to smoke some and see what happens. Hmmm … Oh well, Nina-kins have an awesome day filled with lots of laughter and love xxx jan
janicetripepi said on March 5, 2010
Thanks Z – i must admit, i did have a major Asteris & Obelix moment when i started cooking this and i felt like i was going right back in time ….. wack this in a potjie on a fire and you would really have a moment there .. xxx jan
ps: have a fabulous day xx
tandy.sinclair said on March 5, 2010
Yummy – lucky you! We have a new deli in town and so far, they keep rabbit meat – not brave enough to try that, but maybe they will expand their range soon. I have only ever had warthog once – and cannot say it was good, so do not try an oxtail style recipe xxx
Zabwan said on March 5, 2010
oooh – good idea! xx
LessOfMe said on March 5, 2010
Yummy.
I keep meaning to go to the market and I keep forgetting.
I think I will have to mark it in ink in my diary for the 27 March
And I mailed that email adress but it bounced back.
janicetripepi said on March 5, 2010
Oopsie darling i am so sorry – getting very madala – i miss spelt their name …blush blush
elois@vienings.com
Please re-send your email now and it will be fine. This meat is lean and ultra tasty – just up your street xxx jan
LessOfMe said on March 5, 2010
Mailed again
Thanks Jan
sharonsmit said on March 5, 2010
Oi wei – sounds delishious, Scrumptious, fabulous, divine… i can keep on going! I can imagine the wild boar giving you a fabulous meaty flavor!
PS: have a fabulous weekend doll!! xxxx
janicetripepi said on March 5, 2010
I am in love with wild boar at the moment hey Shaz … thanks and you have an awesome weekend too xxx jan
DeeCee said on March 5, 2010
hmmm, not into the wild meat.
Anyway, just wanted to thank you for that delish recipe – spicy chicken. Prepared it today for my girlfriends and absolutely enjoyed every morsel!
Interesting texture and taste. I stirfried the veg in a wok and used julienne sweetpotato with the carrot and zuccini.
canda1 said on March 6, 2010
Wild boar is an absolutely fantastic meat! What a find! Enjoy the weekend. xxxx
janicetripepi said on March 6, 2010
Awesome, glad you enjoyed it. xxx jan
janicetripepi said on March 6, 2010
janicetripepi said on March 6, 2010
Thanks angel, yes it’s deep rich flavour is very delish xx have a great weekend xxx jan