There is a natural food source out there in such an abundance that many people overlook.
The wild boar population has gone from strength to strength over the years and they have become a major problem for many states.
Yet, I’ve spoken with many people who would never even consider eating these animals.
I’m here to argue that wild boar is one of the best proteins available, and much better than domestic pork.
To prove this, here are 10 wild boar recipes I made that will change the mind of even the toughest critics.
Wild Boar Meatballs
Wild boar meatballs were an obvious choice for me. For this recipe, I made the classic Italian meatballs.
While wild boar works well with Swedish meatballs, I prefer the flavoring of the Italian seasoning for wild boar.
That’s not to knock wild boar Swedish meatballs, I have made them and they were delicious.
I usually make up a large batch of meatballs and freeze them to use on multiple dishes later on.
I’ve made pizza, perogies, and meatball sub, to name a few.
The sauce is a simple tomato marinara, although I don’t always make the sauce with the meatballs.
This dish incorporates a lot of herbs and spices that blend well with wild boar meat.
You will also need to add some fat to prevent the meat from drying out. I recommend using pork fat as wild boar fat is not very palatable.
I recommend making the meatballs and storing them for later use.
Wild Boar Chili
As an outdoorsman, I’ve eaten my fair share of venison chili, and I love it like most hunters.
But let me tell you about wild boar chili. Now I’m not saying it’s better than venison chili, (well actually I am), but if you like venison chili you must try wild boar chili.
I find wild boar is just so suited for chili with its complex flavoring, natural sweetness, and deep earthy undertones.
The texture also lends itself very well to chili, it’s not so soft yet also not firm, it’s perfectly in the middle for chili.
This dish can be made the classic way on the stove, or my new favorite way to make chili in the slow cooker.
Wild Boar Rogan Josh
Pork isn’t one of the first things that comes to mind when you think of an Indian curry, but wild boar meat is different than pork and so much better.
There are many Indian dishes that can be made with wild boar, and I’ve tried quite a few of them.
Though, if I were to choose only one Indian dish for wild boar it would be rogan josh.
I find the spices of this dish coupled with the tomato base really elevate the meat.
Another great thing about this dish is you can use almost any cut. The long and slow cooking, coupled with the acid from the tomatoes can break down the toughest cuts of wild boar to make them extremely tender.
Wild Boar Ragu
I don’t think any wild boar recipe list would be complete without ragu or bolognese on the list.
My preference is for ragu over bolognese for wild boar, because it’s more rustic and the meat is marinated in rich flavors before cooking.
This dish has deep roots in Italy where wild boar is a staple for outdoorsmen.
In this recipe, I used deep earthy flavors like juniper berries and red wine to pair with the wild boar.
The end result is a complex rich dish with many different flavors of the forest coming through. The dish is full of strong flavors, so if you are nervous about trying wild boar this might be a good one to try.
Wild Boar Jerky
One of my all-time wild boar recipes is jerky.
Before I say anything else about this dish it does have a risk of trichinella. Take proper precautions in handling and consuming the meat. I also recommend that you have the wild boar meat tested.
Now that you are aware of the potential risks of this dish, let’s talk about how good it is.
Many people that visit this site are well aware of how good venison jerky is, but once again I prefer the wild boar alternative.
In this recipe, I made sweet and spicy jerky from wild boar backstrap.
The apple juice pairs well with the boar, just like the apple cider does in this recipe.
I also love the texture for wild boar, it’s like a perfect middle for jerky, not too soft, and not too chewy. I cut the meat against the grain, but I also use only backstrap or tenderloin for wild boar jerky.
Wild Boar marinade
This wild boar marinade is one of my all-time favorite marinades. What I love about this marinade is that on top of the amazing flavor it works well at preventing the meat from drying out.
If not cooked properly will boar tenderloins can quickly dry out, but the ingredients in this recipe help the liquid enter the cells of the meat to prevent this from happening.
The finished dish is also quite tasty, with a sweet taste.
Making this recipe takes only about 10 minutes, although it is best to leave it to marinade for at least 12 hours.
I generally use this marinade for the backstrap or tenderloin, although it will work with almost every cut of wild boar.
