TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Polenta con Ragù di CinghialePolenta with Wild Boar Ragù
A weekend centerpiece from Maremma: wild boar slowly braised in red wine, juniper and rosemary, served over soft polenta. Overnight marination and a two-and-a-half-hour braise are central to its authenticity.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Wild boar shoulder or legCut into 3–4 cm cubes. Marinate overnight in red wine and herbs.600 g
- Full-bodied red wineUse 200 ml for marinating and 100 ml for braising. Morellino di Scansano is one option.300 ml
- Juniper berriesLightly crush with your palm before using.8 pieces
- Rosemary2 sprigs
- Sage4 leaves
- Black peppercorns8 pieces
- OnionFinely chopped1 piece
- CarrotFinely chopped1 piece
- CeleryFinely chopped1 stalk
- GarlicCrushed2 cloves
- Canned peeled tomatoes400 g
- Extra virgin olive oil40 ml
- Polenta cornmealMedium-ground250 g
- Water (for polenta)1000 ml
- Unsalted butterFor finishing the polenta.30 g
- Parmigiano ReggianoGrate; for finishing the polenta.30 g
- Salt10 g
Method
Marinate the boar overnight (12 hours)
- 1 Cut 600 g wild boar into 3–4 cm cubes.
- 2 Put 200 ml red wine, 8 lightly crushed juniper berries, 1 rosemary sprig, 2 sage leaves, 8 black peppercorns and 1 crushed garlic clove in a container.
- 3 Immerse the meat in the wine, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Ready when
After at least 12 hours, continue when the meat's surface is deep reddish-purple.
Make the vegetable soffritto
- 1 Remove the boar and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Reserve the marinade.
- 2 Finely chop 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stalk.
- 3 Heat 40 ml olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat.
- 4 Add onion, carrot, celery and 1 crushed garlic clove and sauté for 8–10 minutes.
Ready when
After 8–10 minutes, continue when the vegetables are soft and smell sweet.
Brown the boar
- 1 Push the vegetables to the sides, add the boar and raise the heat to high.
- 2 Sear for 8–10 minutes until browned on every side.
Ready when
Continue once all sides are deeply golden.
Caution
Thorough browning gives the sauce savor and depth. Do not rush to the next stage.
Reduce wine and braise with tomatoes
- 1 Pour in 100 ml reserved marinade and boil over medium heat for about 2 minutes to remove the alcoholic smell.
- 2 Add 400 g canned whole tomatoes, crushing them by hand.
- 3 Add 1 rosemary sprig and 2 sage leaves, and season with 5 g salt.
- 4 Cover and braise over low heat for 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes.
Ready when
After 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes, continue when the meat falls apart at a touch of a fork.
A deep reddish-brown sauce with beads of fat shows it has braised sufficiently.
Cook the polenta
- 1 Put 1000 ml water and 5 g salt in another pot over high heat.
- 2 Just before boiling, reduce to low and gradually whisk in 250 g polenta cornmeal.
- 3 Switch to a wooden spoon and cook over low heat for 30–35 minutes.
- 4 Turn off the heat and stir in 30 g unsalted butter and 30 g grated Parmigiano.
- 5 MeanwhileCook the polenta alongside the ragù during its final 30 minutes of braising.
Ready when
After 30–35 minutes, turn off the heat when a wooden spoon's trail closes slowly.
Caution
Once the spoon's trail closes slowly, turn off the heat and stir in 30 g unsalted butter and 30 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Finish the ragù and serve
- 1 Remove the herbs from the ragù and adjust the salt.
- 2 Spread polenta on plates and spoon generous boar ragù into the center.
Ready when
The dish is ready when polenta and ragù are hot and the cheese is beginning to melt.
About this dish
Maremma is a vast area of open countryside in southwestern Tuscany, where boar hunting remains part of local culture. Polenta con ragù di cinghiale is the dish in which hunters braised their catch with red wine and herbs and ate it with piping-hot polenta.
Wild boar has tighter fibers than pork and a distinctive gamey flavor. Marinating overnight in red wine and juniper berries mellows that character and turns it into savor. Juniper is a standard spice for boar, balancing its wild aroma and helping tenderize the meat.
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