Pot-roast wild boar and pumpkin recipe

By Tom Norrington-Davies

Serves 6 generously
Takes 30 minutes to make, about 2½ hours to roast, plus overnight marinating
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Hunted to extinction in Britain three centuries ago, wild boar still thrive in mainland Europe and are now making a farmed comeback in this country. Like most game, it’s tastier and leaner than its domestic counterparts. This recipe is perfect for autumn: a slow-cooked pot roast, enriched by bacon and sweet roast pumpkin.

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 red onions, finely sliced
3 celery sticks, finely sliced
300ml red wine vinegar
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 bay leaves, broken up
1 (about 2.5kg) wild boar shoulder, fat scored in a criss-cross pattern
2 tbsp vegetable oil
50g dry cured smoked streaky bacon, diced
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 litres chicken stock or water
1/4 pumpkin or 1 (about 600g) small butternut squash, unpeeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm wedges or rounds
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
6 fresh sage leaves

Method

1. Mix the garlic, onions and celery with the vinegar, sugar, salt and bay in a large dish. Add the meat, then cover and marinate overnight in the fridge, turning halfway.
2. The next day, preheat the oven to 180C/fan160C/gas 4. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep roasting tin or large casserole over a medium heat and fry the bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Remove the wild boar from the marinade and brown in the tin for 3-4 minutes or until lightly golden. Add the marinade, along with the cinnamon, tomato purée and bacon. Simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced by half.
3. Add enough stock to cover two-thirds of the meat and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook in the oven for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender and the juices look glossy and are reduced (add more stock if it looks like it’s drying out, though). Uncover and let the top of the meat roast for about 20 minutes, until browned. Remove and rest, covered in foil, while you cook the pumpkin.
4. Turn the oven temperature up to 220C/fan200C/gas 7. Put the pumpkin or squash on a greased baking sheet and season with salt and scatter with the sage. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss together. Roast for 20 minutes or until soft and golden brown.
5. Slice the wild boar and serve with the pan juices, pumpkin or squash and crusty bread to mop up any juices. Watercress makes a great side dish.