Gnocchi with Wild Boar Ragu
Chef Don Winkie opened his Plum Borough restaurant 80 Acres in 2014. He’s been cooking up a storm ever since, bringing a palette influenced by his years in Santa Fe and his time working at local italian bistro.
What is wild boar?
Chef Don knows his way around a chile, spices and the italian classics. This dish brings together the flavors of poblano, chipotle and ‘cingiale’ or wild boar, a classic northern Italian specialty.
Cinghiale are wild free roaming pigs, and cooking their delicious meat is easier than you might think. Think of it much like a pork shoulder: with the right spices and slow cooking, you cannot go wrong. In fact, if you’re unable to locate wild boar from your local purveyor or market, pork will make a fine stand in.
What does Wild Boar taste like?
Wild boar has a pork like consistency, but its darker color and strong, nutty rich flavor separate it from its farmed counterpart. In Chef Don Winkie’s kitchen at 80 Acres, these differences become the basis for a truly remarkable ragú to serve with light and savory gnocchi.
Chef Don Winkie of 80 Acres shares his recipe for Wild Boar.
Wild Boar with Chilis and Spices
Ingredients
3 lbs. boneless boar shoulder (substitution suggestion: boneless pork shoulder)
3 large, dried ancho chilies
2 poblano, seeded and chopped
2 chipotles (from can of chipotles in adobo)
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 ¼ cup red wine
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 t cumin
2 t dried oregano
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t kosher salt
3 medium yellow onions, sliced
1 cup golden raisins
Instructions
1. Place dried chilis in sauce pan, cover with water, bring to
boil, remove from heat, and let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Drain water from chilis. Combine softened chilis, poblano
peppers, chipotles, cilantro, red wine, orange juice, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor or blender. Purée until smooth.
3. Place ½ of the onions and ½ of the golden raisins in the bottom of a 4 quart Dutch oven. Position the boar on top of the bed of onions and raisins. Season the boar with salt and pepper. Place remaining onions and raisins on top of the boar. Pour puree over the boar. Cover the pot and roast at 350’ until boar is tender.
4. Remove the boar from the pan and allow to cool slightly.
5. Shred the meat with a fork.
6. Pour the braising liquid into a food processor. Puree until smooth.
7. Combine the puree and the boar.
8. Serve atop fresh ricotta gnocchi or pasta of your choice.
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STORY BY JUSTIN MATASE / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BRYCE / STYLING BY KEITH RECKER / VIDEOGRAPHY BY DANA CUSTER AND ARIELLA FURMAN