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
- In a casserole stir fry with olive oil the chopped carrot, onion, and celery stalk
- Add chopped parsley and ham
- Once the ham and the vegetables are slightly cooked add the wild boar
- Season with salt and sear the meat on all sides
- Add the flour and stir to dissolve it with the juices
- Add 1 cup of water, cover and simmer for 2 hours
- Occasionally add some water to keep the meat moist
- After 2 hours add the chocolate mixed with the spices
- Stir and let the chocolate melt into the juices
Making the instant polenta
- Bring to boil the salted water
- Add the polenta flour gradually stirring constantly to make sure no bumps are formed
- 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.
- Lay the polenta on a wooden cutting board or a large serving plate
- Pour the wild boar over and serve immediately
- 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
If you are making the Wild Boar Meat Stew With Rich Spicy Chocolate Sauce, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
📋Wild Boar Meat Stew With Rich Spicy Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients (Commissions Earned)
- 2 lb wild boar meat or pork picnic shoulder
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 sprig freshly chopped parsley
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 oz ham or bacon
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup fresh water
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the chocolate sauce
- 1 tablespoon raisin
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon Candied Fruit Mostarda
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 oz dark chocolate best Valrhona Xocopili 72%
- 1 pinch dried hot chili optional and not necessary if you use Valrhona Xocopili 72%
For the polenta
- 1 lb instant polenta flour
- 8 ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Equipment (Commissions Earned)
Instructions
Preparing the spices for the chocolate sauce
- Marinate together for a few hours all the ingredients for the chocolate sauce.1 tablespoon raisin, 1 tablespoon pine nuts, 1 tablespoon Candied Fruit Mostarda, 1 tablespoon caster sugar, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 oz dark chocolate, 1 pinch dried hot chili
Cooking the wild boar
- In a casserole stir fry with olive oil the chopped carrot, onion and celery stalk1 carrot diced, 1 onion diced, 1 stalk of celery, 3 tablespoon olive oil
- Add chopped parsley and ham1 sprig freshly chopped parsley, 1 oz ham
- Once the ham and the vegetables are slightly cooked add the wild boar2 lb wild boar meat
- Season with salt and sear the meat on all sides1 teaspoon salt
- Add the flour and stir to dissolve it with the juices1 tablespoon flour
- Add 1 cup of water, cover and simmer for 2 hours1 cup fresh water
- Occasionally add some water to keep the meat moist
- After 2 hours add the chocolate mixed with the spices
- Stir and let the chocolate melt into the juices
Making the polenta
- Bring to boil the salted water1 teaspoon salt, 8 ½ cup water
- Add the polenta flour gradually stirring constantly to make sure no bumps are formed1 lb instant polenta flour
- Lower the heat, simmer and keep stirring for 5 more minutes
Serving the wild boar over the polenta
- Lay the polenta on a wooden cutting board or a large serving plate
- Pour the wild boar over and serve immediately
- Sprinkle some chopped parsley to give some color1 sprig freshly chopped parsley
Video
Notes
- If you cannot find wild boar meat you can use pork picnic shoulder
- If you are using regular dark chocolate but you like to add some spices, add some chili.
- Candied fruit Mostarda is slightly spicy but very mild. If you cannot find it or you do not want any spice at all use regular candied fruit and add 1 teaspoon of honey
- The ham added to the meat can be substituted with bacon if your wild boar meat is too lean
- If you like a smooth creamy sauce you can remove the wild boar from the pan and blend the sauce with an electrical blender. However, I do like to taste the chunky nuts, fruits, and raisins.
- The cooking instructions for the polenta are referred to instant polenta. Check the instruction on the polenta package to make sure it is instant polenta
- Besides polenta you can also serve the wild boar with boiled potatoes or rice.
- If you serve it on a cutting board, make sure the cutting board has edges to collect the juices.
Andrea Metlika
This stew sounds amazing. Especially the spicy chocolate sauce. I want to put that on everything.
Laura
LOL, I know. Thank you
Emily Liao
Wow this wild boar stew was ridiculously good! The boar became so tender.
Laura
Thank you, it does melt
Nathan
Wow, I've never had boar meat before but this looks absolutely delicious! And such an interesting idea to pair it with a dark chocolate sauce. Will definitely need to try making this myself!
Laura
Thank you, the chocolate sauce is fantastic
Jere Cassidy
This is so interesing to read about wild boar. The only place here in the US that I have seen wild boar is in the swamps in Louisana. I will have to give this recipe a try with the pork shoulder.
Laura
Interesting, yes pork shoulder is fine
Noelle
Such an interesting recipe! I had never tried anything like this before but it was yummy!
Laura
Thanks, I am glad you liked it