Wild Boar Recipes: 8 Ways to Take Things Up a Notch

In the mood for some fresh and unique wild boar recipes?

Wild boar gets a bad rap, and not just due to their destructive nature. If folks aren't concerned about the toughness, they're quick to notice that the taste (which is much like pork) can come with a touch of gaminess.

Sometimes it's tough to come up with good ideas beyond wild boar sausage to make with your bounty. We scoured the internet and put these to the test; they're some of the best-tasting recipes we could drum up using flavorful wild boar meat.

We'd also like to give a big thanks to one of our readers for sending in a tip on how to remove the gaminess from boar. You can view this tip at the bottom of the article.

Those points aside, wild boar is an excellent type of meat that can be prepared right off the butcher's block for a delicious, hearty meal that is sure to impress. Going hog hunting is a blast, and the meat shouldn't go to waste.

Below are eight of our favorite recipes from around the web.

1. Wild Boar Bacon

One might say, "How could you start a list without bacon?" and to that person I say, "I know exactly what you mean." Though it isn't always easy to make great-tasting bacon with a wild pig, it hasn't stopped us from trying. Below is a great recipe for how to cure your own wild boar bacon, which is about the best version we could find.

Ingredients:

• 2 good-sized wild boar bellies
• 2 gallons of water
• 2 cups sea salt
• 1/4 cup curing salt (pink salt)
• 1/4 cup whole peppercorns
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 1/4 cup onion powder
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup brown sugar

View instructions

2. Wild Boar Ribs with Fig BBQ Sauce

Get over the ground meat idea and get ready to dazzle some dinner guests.

It's not hard to convince someone to come over for dinner; you just have to use the magic word: "ribs." You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who won't enjoy this flavorful dish. The sweetness of the figs creates a luscious BBQ sauce that will ignite your taste buds and enhance the natural flavors of the meat. Try this one on a cold night and pop in a movie while they roast in the oven to peak tenderness.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped thyme
• 1-1/4 tsp kosher salt - divided
• 24 racks St. Louis wild boar ribs (about 3 lbs)
• 1-1/4 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 cup fig jam or preserves
• 3 tbsp canned tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper

View instructions

3. Wild Boar Carnitas Tacos with Jicama-Mango Salsa

Cooking wild boar should be fun and inspire creativity. Our Texas roots cannot resist the call of the taco, so you can bet that if it's made of meat we're ready to stuff it in a tortilla. Carnitas are a delectable Hispanic staple and switching out traditional pork for wild boar is a simple substitution with a lot of flavorful results. Slow-cooked meals like this are great for hog meat. The fat from the wild boar (and fat is very important here, so don't trim it off!) is much richer than that of any regular grocery-bought swine. We challenge you to not eat at least five of these.

Ingredients:

For the carnitas:

• 5 fresh (5-inch) marjoram sprigs
• 5 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 2 medium bay leaves
• 1 1/2 medium white onions, peeled and quartered through the root end
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 5 pounds boneless wild boar shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes (do not trim the fat)

For the salsa:

• 2 cups small-dice jicama
• 2 cups small-dice mango (from about 2 medium mangoes)
• 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 medium limes)
• 2 serrano chiles, stemmed and finely chopped
• Kosher salt

View instructions

 4. Tagliatelle with Wild Boar Ragout and Pecorino di Pienza

Sounds fancy, huh? Well it should - this recipe comes from the Four Seasons Hotel in Prague, and has a masterful amount of restraint in technique and ingredients. While you may think this dish will be overpowering with the fungi, cheese, herbs, and bacon, you'll soon see that these ingredients dial up the flavor you're used to seeing with wild boar without taking away the distinct, delicious flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 carrots, diced
• 1/2 small celeriac, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 parsnip, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¾ cup (185 ml) extra virgin olive oil, divided
• ½ cup (125 ml) butter, cut in small pieces, divided
• 10 oz (300 g) cubed wild boar loin
• 1/3 oz (10 g) Guanciale bacon, julienned
• Thyme and rosemary, finely chopped
• 1/3 oz (10 g) dry porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water
• 1 ¼ cups (310 ml) red wine
• 1 2/3 cups (410 ml) veal stock
• Salt and black pepper
• Flour
• 6 oz (180 g) fresh tagliatelle pasta
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) flat leaf parsley, chopped Pecorino cheese

5. Wild Boar Salami

NEXT: THE ULTIMATE BEER-CANDIED BACON RECIPE

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