Pappardelle al Cinghiale

Ingredients

• 2 lbs wild boar shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes (or substitute pork shoulder)
• 2 cups dry red wine, divided
• 4 juniper berries, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup beef or chicken stock
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb fresh pappardelle pasta
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Before you cook

• Combine the boar cubes, 1 cup of the red wine, crushed juniper berries, bay leaves, and one rosemary sprig in a large bowl
• Cover and refrigerate the meat to marinate overnight, turning it once if convenient
• Finely dice the onion, celery, and carrot
• Mince the garlic
• Drain the marinated meat in a colander, reserving the marinade liquid, and discard the bay leaves and rosemary
• Pat the drained meat dry with paper towels

Steps

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat
2. Add the dried meat in batches and sear on all sides until deeply browned, about 8 minutes per batch, then set the meat aside
3. Lower the heat to medium and add the diced onion, celery, and carrot to the same pot
4. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until softened
5. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant
6. Add the tomato paste and stir it into the vegetables for 2 minutes to deepen its color
7. Return the seared meat to the pot
8. Pour in the remaining 1 cup of red wine and the reserved marinade liquid, scraping the bottom of the pot
9. Simmer for 5 minutes to let the wine reduce slightly
10. Add the crushed tomatoes, stock, remaining rosemary sprig, a generous pinch of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper
11. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, then cover partially and reduce the heat to low
12. Braise the ragù for 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is fork-tender and shreds easily
13. Remove the rosemary sprig and taste the sauce, adjusting salt and pepper as needed
14. Shred or break up the meat into smaller pieces directly in the sauce using two forks
15. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pappardelle according to package directions until al dente
16. Drain the pasta, reserving a splash of the pasta water
17. Toss the drained pappardelle directly into the ragù along with a splash of the reserved pasta water
18. Divide the pasta among bowls and top each with grated Parmesan