Tagliatelle with Wild Boar Ragú and Sautéed Mushrooms

Introduction

With a sweeter, gamier and more complex flavour than pork, wild boar can be said to be a delicacy. Because it is a tough meat, the ideal approach is long roasts or, in this case, a beautiful braise full of aromatic herb flavours that complement it perfectly. To embrace it fittingly, since wild boar meat is not the easiest to find, the ideal is to make the pasta from scratch — a well-crafted tagliatelle, finished with sautéed mushrooms.

Instructions

Wild Boar Ragú

1. Prepare the meat. Preheat the oven to 170°. Remove and discard the fat from the wild boar. Coat the meat with sweet paprika, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.

2. Sear. Heat a frying pan and add the bacon. Let the fat render and add the lard. Set the bacon aside. In the remaining fat, sear the wild boar on both sides. Set the wild boar aside as well.

3. Sauté the vegetables. Add a little more olive oil to the pan and add the carrot, onion, celery, leek and garlic, cut into rough pieces. Let them develop flavour and add the tomato paste. Cook for another couple of minutes and add the juniper berries crushed in a mortar, the orange peel strip and a bouquet garni of bay leaf, sage, thyme and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with oregano and return the wild boar to the pan.

4. Braise. Transfer everything to an ovenproof pot and pour in the dark beer and wine. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven for 2 hours and 30 minutes.

5. Shred and blend. Shred the meat, setting it aside, and discard the orange peel and bouquet garni. Blend the sauce, softening the concentration of flavour with water and sugar.

Tagliatelle

6. Make the dough. In a food processor, sift the flour and semolina. Add a pinch of salt, eggs, egg yolks, olive oil and water. Process until a ball forms.

7. Knead and rest. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and gently knead the dough until a smooth ball forms. Wrap in cling film and cover well with a cloth. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

8. Cut and cook. Roll out the dough using a pasta machine or rolling pin. Cut it into tagliatelle shapes. Bring water to a boil with plenty of salt and oregano in a pot. Add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes. Drain.

Sautéed Mushrooms

9. Sauté the mushrooms. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Drizzle a hot frying pan with a thread of olive oil and add sage, thyme, rosemary and sliced garlic. Sauté. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Let them brown and deglaze with vinegar and white wine.

Serving

Arrange the pasta on a plate, cover with the shredded meat and sauce, garnish with the sautéed mushrooms and finish with freshly chopped parsley.