Wild Boar Stew With Chocolate (Cinghiale in Dolce Forte)

Wild boar stew is similar to pork stew but with a strong wild and nutty flavor, an old Italian recipe book from the 19th century recommends cooking it in a stew with a spicy chocolate sauce: Cinghiale in Dolce Forte. A real delight!

Jump to:

• What meat is wild boar
• How to choose and tenderize wild bore meat
• The Italian origin of this recipe
• Ingredients for the chocolate sauce
• Preparing the spices for the sauce
• Cooking the wild boar
• Making the instant polenta
• Rustic serving
• What to serve with wild boar stew and chocolate
• Other recipes you may like
• 📋Wild Boar Meat Stew With Rich Spicy Chocolate Sauce

What meat is wild boar

Wild boars are very common in the Mediterranean forests, they are wild hairy pigs that reproduce quite rapidly in the wild.

They mostly eat acorns, herbs, fruits, berries, tubers, roots and mushrooms but can also eat small animals. Their meat is lean but hard and has a strong taste of wilderness and nuts.

They are very disruptive and dangerous if they enter into a cultivated field or a private property.

That is why many countries here in Europe allow hunters to kill several numbers of them every year. They reproduce too fast invading forests and woods, so hunters keep their population under control.

Although it is not always easy to find their meat in shops, at least here in France their commerce is regulated. You can find the meat at some designated butcher stores or during the holidays at some supermarket.

My sister is a veterinarian surgeon and often operates dogs who have been injured while hunting. Wild boars have long tusks they use for defense. Often happens that they cut the dog's leg tendons during the hunts.

Of course, she has many grateful hunter clients and her freezer is always well stocked with wild boar meat.

How to choose and tenderize wild bore meat

If you are buying the wild boar meat from a hunter or a butcher, it is best to buy meat from a young female animal. Male wild boar meat is tougher and has a stronger wild flavor due to the high level of male hormones.

However, whether you have male or female meat, it is best to tenderize the meat overnight by soaking it into white wine.

If you are buying it at a supermarket, check the label as it may be a farmed wild boar (much milder in taste) and/or the meat may already be cured.

The Italian origin of this recipe

When I make this recipe, it is always for an exceptional celebration. It is one of the most celebrated recipes from the first recipe book written in the Italian language: "The science of eating well" by Pellegrino Artusi.

The book was written in 1891 and for us Italians, it is a precious resource of old traditional recipes.

This recipe for chocolate wild boar is called Cinghiale dolce forte which literally means sweet-strong wild boar. If you cannot find wild boar meat, try to make this recipe with pork picnic shoulder, the result is still amazing.

However, Artusi suggests using this sauce also to cook the hares, if hares meat is easier for you to find.

Ingredients for the chocolate sauce

What makes this recipe so exceptional are 2 main ingredients:

• Candied fruit Mostarda: it is a sweet and spicy jam we use to accompany boiled meat and hard cheese. You can find it on amazon in my affiliate link.
• Dark chocolate: using a good brand of chocolate is fundamental for any recipes that require chocolate. I like to use Valrhona as the factory is close to Grenoble where Liam goes to university so I stock up when I go visit.

Here in France, I was able to buy special chocolate that Valrhona developed specifically for savory recipes with meat. It is called Xocopili 72% and it is mixed with chili, curry, and pepper.

Unfortunately, you cannot find it on Amazon, but if you are able to find it in a store, do buy it and try it. It is exceptional!

Substitute

• To replace the Italian candied fruits Mostarda, use some regular candied fruit and add a teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of regular mustard if you want it mildly spicy.
• As a substitute to Valrhona dark chocolate, you can use your favorite brand of dark chocolate and if you like the idea of spicy chocolate, just add a pinch of chili to the chocolate sauce mix.

Preparing the spices for the sauce

Before you start, marinate together for a few hours all the ingredients for the chocolate sauce. The ingredients are:

• 1 tablespoon raisin
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon candied fruit Mostarda
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 oz - 30 g dark chocolate
• 1 pinch dried hot chili (optional)

Cooking the wild boar

1. In a casserole stir fry with olive oil the chopped carrot, onion, and celery stalk
2. Add chopped parsley and ham
3. Once the ham and the vegetables are slightly cooked add the wild boar
4. Season with salt and sear the meat on all sides
5. Add the flour and stir to dissolve it with the juices
6. Add 1 cup of water, cover and simmer for 2 hours
7. Occasionally add some water to keep the meat moist
8. After 2 hours add the chocolate mixed with the spices
9. Stir and let the chocolate melt into the juices

Making the instant polenta

1. Bring to boil the salted water
2. Add the polenta flour gradually stirring constantly to make sure no bumps are formed
3. Lower the heat, simmer and keep stirring for 5 more minutes

Rustic serving

Both wild boar and polenta are very rustic countryside dishes, therefore I like to serve them in a rustic way, over a wooden cutting board. Make sure the cutting board has edges to collect the juices.

1. Lay the polenta on a wooden cutting board or a large serving plate
2. Pour the wild boar over and serve immediately
3. Sprinkle some chopped parsley to give some color

What to serve with wild boar stew and chocolate

I like to serve this wild boar chocolate stew with Polenta, both typical rural dishes.

The polenta with its mild flavor and firm texture perfectly complements the rich and creamy chocolate sauce and the wild board meat.

For an extra flare, you can serve it with crispy fried polenta.

As an alternative you can serve it also with baked rice or baked potatoes, something simple that can absorb the rich sauce and balance its spices.

If you want to make a very special meal, then I would suggest serving it with Yorkshire Pudding, pouring this creamy chocolaty sauce inside those crispy holes.

Other recipes you may like

• Traditional Cassoulet Recipe
• Pork Casserole with Pineapple or whatever
• Porchetta Romana Recipe
• Magret de Canard à l'Orange Recipe
• Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Chestnuts and Cranberries
• Crown Roast Of Lamb Rosemary And Wine

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