Pappardelle with wild boar ragù

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Tuscany is a mecca for Italian food lovers, and like Tuscans, this fall we’re searching for the more rustic tastes traditional of Tuscan cuisine. Cinghiale might seem like a strange choice for Asian palettes, but the meat has a rustic taste that pairs perfectly with the outdoor trips through changing leaves and is just warm and hearty enough to beat the cold. Try the classic pici pasta with wild boar ragù or the ever-popular pappardelle with wild boar ragù.

The cinghiale or wild boar hunting season runs from November 1st through the end of January. Favorite traditional recipes handed down through the generations grace the tables in the Tuscan villages and also feature in the Autumn Festival celebrations. In Campiglia Marittima the local committee to promote the village (Ente Valorizzazione Campiglia) recently hosted a series of traditional meals and events to delight visitors as well as old time locals. An all time favorite has to be pappardelle al cinghiale. Anna Maria Furiosi, one of the local women and experienced teacher keeping these culinary traditions alive has shared her recipe and prepared the dish for our tasting!

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 persons

  • 100 grams of minced pork
  • 100 grams minced beef
  • 400/500 grams lean wild boar meat
  • Garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • About 4 tablespoons of tomato concentrate
  • ¼ litre/quart good red Tuscan wine
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Vinegar
  • 80/90 grams of fresh egg Pappardelle per person.
  • Grated Parmigiano

Directions

Cut the wild boar into small pieces. Wash the meat in water and vinegar. Put the rinsed meat in a non-stick pan and leave it on a low fire until the water drains from the meat , removing the water regularly. When the meat has changed color and is dry remove from fire. Cut the meat in small pieces and put aside. Generously cover the bottom of a pan with the olive oil- add a clove of garlic cut fine. Take a couple of springs of rosemary bound with thread and sauté it in the oil and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the minced pork and minced beef, salt and pepper and cook for 10/15 minutes on a moderate flame. Slowly sprinkle the glass of red wine, cover the pan and continue cooking on a slow fire for another 15/20 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the concentrate tomato in a large cup by adding hot water and the teaspoon of sugar. Add it to the meat and continue cooking for 25/30 minutes. –slowly add the remaining red wine and cook for another 30/40 minutes.

Now boil the pappardelle in a large pot with abundant boiling water for about 5/6 MINUTES. Drain and slowly add athe suace with a fork layer by layer adding some grated parmigiano and decorating with small sprigs of rosemary.

Buon Appetito!

Yours, 

Alfie Browns

Kian K