WILD BOAR LEG ROAST w/GOLDEN RAISINS

By BobD

Ingredients

• 6-8 SERVINGS
• Serve with green beans and baby carrots that have a little butter. A light red wine will complement this dish.
• • 2 tablespoons olive oil
• • 1 each onion, carrot, and celery rib, diced
• • 1 cup beef stock
• • 3 bay leaves
• • 1 sprig thyme
• • 1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• • 12 black peppercorns
• • 8 juniper berries, bruised
• • 2 cups full-bodied red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
• • 1 small wild boar leg, about 6 pounds, silver skin and fat removed, boned and tied
• • 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
• • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• • 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• • 1 1/4 cups golden raisins
• • 3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly roasted, to garnish

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from dartagnan.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery, and sauté until lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Pour in stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour mixture into a plastic container or glass bowl large enough to hold boar leg.

2. Tie bay leaves, thyme, and parsley in a cheesecloth, and add to marinade along with peppercorns, juniper berries, and red wine. Set aside to cool. When cold, add boar leg, cover, and refrigerate for 2 days, turning daily.

3. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350°F.

4. Remove boar from marinade and pat dry. Strain marinade, reserving liquid and vegetables separately. Combine garlic with salt and pepper and rub over meat. Roast boar in a shallow pan for about 12 to 15 minutes per pound of boned meat, or until an instant-read thermometer registers between 155°F and 160°F.

5. Meanwhile, boil marinade liquid to reduce by half.

6. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add drained vegetables and brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle on flour and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in reduced marinade and simmer for 10 minutes.

7. Combine brown sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until mixture begins to caramelize, then slowly strain sauce made from reduced marinade into saucepan, stirring continuously to dissolve the caramel. Add raisins and simmer slowly and plump, about 12 minutes. Keep warm until needed.

8. Remove roast from oven, allow to stand for 10 minutes, ten cut across the grain of the meat into slices. Serve with raisin sauce and a few pine nuts sprinkled over each slice.