Wild boar stew: the recipe

I truly mastered wild boar stew the day I understood that it all comes down to two steps: a thorough marinade to tenderize and flavor the meat, followed by gentle cooking that transforms firm meat into something utterly meltingly tender. It's a dish that evokes the garrigue and long, leisurely meals, but it's perfectly achievable in a family kitchen with a little planning.

My version remains very classic: red wine, carrots, onion, garlic, a bouquet garni, a little orange zest (it doesn't "make it a dessert," it enhances the flavor), and bacon to round it out. I add a small square of dark chocolate at the end of cooking: it's an old trick to give depth to the sauce without making it sweet.

To keep the total cooking time reasonable, I use a pressure cooker. You retain the traditional slow-cooking technique, but you save time without sacrificing texture. And if you have the luxury of marinating the meat overnight, it will thank you.

From a nutritional standpoint, wild boar is a relatively lean meat, rich in protein. Carrots and celery provide fiber and micronutrients, and cooking it in a sauce makes for a very satisfying dish without needing a lot of fat. You can serve it with fresh pasta, steamed potatoes, or polenta, depending on your mood.

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Wild boar stew

Recipe by Nathalie Laplace

5.0 based on 1 vote(s)

Type of dish: main courseKitchen: FrenchDifficulty: average

Portions

4

portions

Preparation time

15

minutes

Cooking time

55

minutes

Calories

640

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

15

minutes

A classic wild boar stew: meltingly tender meat, a red wine sauce thickened with blood, and the aroma of bacon, orange, and herbs. It all simmers quickly in a pressure cooker to maintain a realistic cooking time without compromising the essence of the dish.

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Ingredients

• 800g of wild boar shoulder cut into 4-5cm cubes

• 150g of smoked bacon

• 2 carrots (approx. 200g), sliced

• 1 celery stalk (approx. 60g), diced

• 1 onion (approx. 150g), sliced

• 3 crushed garlic cloves

• 50 cl of full-bodied red wine

• 20 cl of beef broth

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (20g)

• 1 tablespoon of flour (10g)

• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste (30g)

• 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley)

• 1 small strip of orange zest

• 6 crushed juniper berries

• 1 square of dark chocolate (10g, approx. 70%)

• 1 tablespoon of wine vinegar (15g)

• Fine salt, black pepper

Instructions

• If possible, marinate the wild boar the day before: place it in a bowl with the red wine, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bouquet garni, orange zest, and juniper berries. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. If you don't have time, leave it for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the rest (the flavor will be less pronounced, but it works).
• Drain the meat (keep the marinade). Pat the pieces dry with paper towels: this small step really helps to sear them properly.
• In the pressure cooker, heat the olive oil. Brown the bacon for 2-3 minutes, then add the pieces of wild boar in batches and sear them thoroughly on all sides (you are looking for a nice color, not cooking through).
• Add the vegetables from the marinade (carrots, celery, onion, garlic) and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute: this will help the sauce thicken.
• Add the tomato paste and stir. Deglaze with the wine vinegar (this loosens the browned bits), then pour in the strained marinade and the stock. Return the bouquet garni and orange zest to the pan. Season with pepper and a little salt (the bacon is already salty).
• Close the pressure cooker. Once it reaches pressure, cook for 30 minutes. Then allow the pressure to release naturally for 5-10 minutes if possible (this keeps the meat more tender).
• Open the jar, remove the bouquet garni and zest. Add the square of dark chocolate and stir until melted. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. If the sauce seems too thin, reduce it uncovered for 3-5 minutes at a gentle simmer.
• Serve piping hot, with a neutral side dish (steamed potatoes, pasta, polenta). To keep with the theme, simply sprinkle with a little chopped parsley.

📊 Nutritional Information

1 serving (approx. 420g)

* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance

📝 Notes

Timing: the marinating time is not included in the 45 minutes. If you prepare it the day before, you'll gain in flavor and tenderness without complicating the cooking time.

💡 Chef's Tips

For a rich, coating sauce: pat the meat dry before searing, and take your time to brown it. If you're marinating, keep the orange zest in thin strips (not the white pith) to avoid bitterness. Add the chocolate at the end, off the heat, just to round out the flavor.

🔄 Variations

• Alcohol-free: replace the wine with 40cl of red grape juice + 10cl of very mild wine vinegar, and increase the stock by 10cl (the taste will be different but the brown sauce logic remains).
• For a more Provençal touch: add 8-10 black olives at the end of cooking and an extra pinch of orange zest.

Nathalie Laplace

Food writer for the Simple & Bon website. Passionate about healthy cooking and especially salads, slow-cooked or oven-baked recipes.