Mirror, mirror on the wall…
When I saw Snow White and the Huntsman on the list for On Demand movies in September, I knew I just had to create something dark and sinister to go along with the dark twist on the classic fairy tale. I recalled the story line from the original, in which the evil queen sends a huntsman on a quest to bring back Snow White’s heart, and instead brings her one from a wild boar. Naturally, I thought of wild boar ragu.
Soon after, I found out that this part of the story didn’t actually happen in the movie. Wah. Wah. Oh well, the spirit of the dish is there, right? Also, this was a trial run for an upcoming celebrity pasta competition I’m competing in later this month…so stay tuned for that! In the meantime, click here to head over to On Demand Weekly to get the recipe (and to enter for a chance to win some swag)!
UPDATE! The pasta contest is coming up on Monday, September 24th. Among my competitors: Brian Murphy from KNBR and former Giant Dave Dravecky. I’ll let you know how I do, but if you’re interested in buying tickets, click here for more information.
UPDATE, PART II: My pasta won second place!! I was extremely proud…and everyone seemed to really like it. I was the only competitor without Italian blood, so I think I did pretty well! 🙂
UPDATE! The pasta contest is coming up on Monday, September 24th. Among my competitors: Brian Murphy from KNBR and former Giant Dave Dravecky. I’ll let you know how I do, but if you’re interested in buying tickets, click here for more information.
UPDATE, PART II: My pasta won second place!! I was extremely proud…and everyone seemed to really like it. I was the only competitor without Italian blood, so I think I did pretty well! 🙂
Wild Boar Ragu with Pappardelle
by
Keywords: entree pasta wild boar pork sauce Italian
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds wild boar, cut into 1″ chunks (can sub pork shoulder/butt if necessary)
- 1.5-2 cups dry red Italian wine
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
- 4 ounces pancetta, chopped
- olive oil
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 2 large ribs celery, finely diced
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons tomato powder (optional)
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced San Marzano tomatoes
- salt & red pepper flakes (to taste)
- pappardelle pasta
- grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Instructions
- Place cut up boar in a bowl along with rosemary, peppercorns and smashed garlic. Pour in red wine until everything is completely covered. Cover and refrigerate 12 hours or overnight. Remove peppercorns, garlic and rosemary. Strain marinade and reserve.
- Heat large stockpot over medium heat and cook pancetta until fat renders. Add a little olive oil (about 1-2 tablespoons) and cook onion, garlic, celery and carrot until vegetables soften. Add boar and brown on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Stir in tomato paste and tomato powder (if using) and allow to cook another minute. Pour in tomatoes (along with the juices) and the reserved wine marinade.
- Reduce heat to low until mixture is just barely at a simmer. Cover with lid slightly ajar and allow to cook for at least 2 hours, possibly 3. (The ragu is done when the liquid has reduced by at half and meat easily falls apart when pressed with a potato masher or back of a wooden spoon). Break up meat into shreds and stir. Season to taste with salt (I used porcini salt and it was amazing!) and red pepper flakes.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Toss with ragu and top with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
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December 25, 2015 at 7:25 amWhen I saw the photo I guessed pappardelle alla lepre (hare) but cinghiale is just as good. As you point out the secret is as much time as you can with the cooking.