Braised wild boar with red wine and winter vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 kg wild boar (shoulder or leg), cut into pieces
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 winter carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 400 ml full-bodied red wine
• 400 ml game stock
• 8 juniper berries, crushed
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil for browning
• A splash of apple cider vinegar (to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the wild boar into large pieces of about 4 cm. Pat them dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.Heat a splash of olive oil in the cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches until golden all over. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.In the same pan, sauté the onion, garlic, winter carrots and celery over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.Add the tomato paste and cook it for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the red wine and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. That’s exactly where the flavour is.Return the meat to the pan along with the game stock, crushed juniper berries, bay leaves and thyme. Make sure the meat is just submerged.Place the lid on the Dutch oven and put it in a preheated oven at 160°C. Braise the dish for 2.5 hours until the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender.Remove the pan from the oven. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Taste the sauce and season with salt, pepper and, if desired, a splash of apple cider vinegar for brightness.Serve straight from the pot, with mashed potatoes or bread to mop up the rich sauce. A feast to enjoy.