Wild Boar Steaks with Balsamic Cranberry Compote

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I picked up some wild boar at the farmer’s market a few days back. I bought them because they just looked beautiful, even though I really had no idea what I’d do with them.

I think food is a lot more fun to eat when you know some history behind the particular recipe you are using or if you know fun things about the food. Consider it like ‘playing with your food’ for grown-ups. So here you go:

Fun Facts

• Wild boar is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig and it is native across much of Northern and Central Europe.
• In Germany, boar meat ranks among the highest priced types of meat.
• In certain countries, such as Laos and parts of China, boar meat is considered an aphrodisiac.
• The hair of the boar was often used for the production of the toothbrush until the invention of synthetic materials in the 1930s.
• A boar is a long-standing symbol of the city of Milan, Italy.
• Folklore, in the Forest of Dean, England, tells of a giant boar, known as the Beast of Dean, which terrorized villagers in the early 19th century.
  

  My dinner plate

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 2 T butter or ghee, divided
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
•  Wild Boar tenderloin or steak
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 T chopped fresh rosemary, or ½ T dried rosemary
• 1 cup of bone broth
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 T balsamic vinegar

What to do

Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C).
Heat oil and 1 T butter in heavy oven proof pan over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Sprinkle wild boar with salt & pepper. Add wild boar to your pan and sear on all sides. Place pan in oven and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Transfer wild boar to plate, loosely cover & set aside . Do not wash pan.

Melt remaining 1 T butter in same pan over medium-high heat. Add onion & rosemary; sauté until onion softens, about 2-3 minutes. Add broth, fresh cranberries and balsamic vinegar.  Simmer until sauce has reduced and thickened and the cranberries have ‘popped’.

Slice wild boar, and serve with sauce.

The Verdict

I know why Asterix and Obelix were always eating wild boar. Wild pig is just as tasty as normal pig and it didn’t taste gamey or wild to me at all. The tartness of the cranberry balsamic compote complimented the meat very well. We served this up with roasted fennel and spinach for a delicious meal.

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