I’ve been given a massive parcel of local wild boar. As I take it out to defrost, I realise there is a lot of meat, and I need to decide quickly what to cook. Wild boar makes a delicious goulash, so I’ve cut all the tender meat into large, bite-sized cubes. I will slowly braise the meatier bones for a rich wild boar ragu, and the small hock will contribute to a hearty bean broth. What a treat – food for free and for weeks.
Firstly, wild boar needs marinating. Cover the meat with plenty of red wine, add three tablespoons of red wine vinegar, a bay leaf, peppercorns, and allspice, and leave it for twenty-four hours.
If you are using beef or pork, there is no need to marinate.
A few words about Goulash…..
Although I’m calling this a goulash, I’m unsure how authentic it is. In her excellent bible of European food, European Peasant Cookery, Elizabeth Luard clearly distinguishes among the various Hungarian or Austro-Hungarian dishes and recipes we associate with Goulash or paprika-flavoured stew, each with its subtle differences.
Paprikas, the least paprikery stew, is made with white meat or fish and sour cream. Porkolt is a beef stew made with paprika, caraway seeds and soured cream and is often served with sauerkraut.
And finally, Paprika soup with dumplings, or gulyasleves (the soup) or gulyashus (the stew). In other words, what we call Goulash is made with beef and includes potatoes, dumplings, and root vegetables, omitting the sour cream or caraway. There are paprika ‘goulash’ recipes from Serbia, Northern Italy, Slovenia, Germany, and Ethiopia, as well as at least eight more Hungarian versions with beans, lamb, pork, and pasta!
So plenty of room for a Greek-inspired wild boar version.
A few words about paprika
Choose good quality – ideally, Hungarian authentic paprika. Don’t be tempted to use up a jar that’s been hanging around for a while – paprika degrades quickly. Once opened, even if well sealed, a jar needs to be used within 6-12 months. If it’s old, it can taste bitter or a bit like sawdust – it should be bright red/orange with a strong, sweet, spicy smell. If it’s dull and brownish, I’m afraid it needs to go in the bin.
Method
After marinating the meat, drain it (reserving the marinade) and dry it with a kitchen towel. Skip this step if you are not using wild boar meat, and go straight to searing the meat in plenty of olive oil. Add the onion, celeriac, chopped red pepper, and carrots. Cook for a few seconds or until the onions are translucent. Stir in the oregano, caraway seeds, bay leaf, and sweet and hot paprika. Bloom the spices for a couple of minutes (do not burn!). Add half the wine marinade or beef stock.
Bring to a boil and then simmer on very low. After thirty minutes, add a tablespoon of tomato paste, the tinned tomatoes, and a little more marinade (stock or red wine). Meanwhile, chop the potatoes and add them after the first hour of cooking. Simmer gently, adding more marinade until the meat and potatoes are soft. Remember, the stew should resemble more of a soup/stew.
This batch of local boar was very gamey and made a fabulous, rich stew. Of course, you can replace the boar with beef chuck or diced pork shoulder, vegetables or beans. If possible, it is also better to cook the Goulash a day in advance and then reheat it on the day of serving—like any stew; it’s always better the next day.
Garnish with sour cream and smoked paprika. Serve with a big green salad, sauerkraut or cabbage salad and plenty of bread to mop up the sauce.
If you also find yourself with a surplus of wild boar! Try the Wild Boar Stifatho, an equally aromatic Greek recipe, or the French classic, Boeuf Bourguignon.
Wild Boar Goulash
Equipment
- 1 cast iron casserole dish or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 kilo wild boar stewing meat cut in 5-6cm pieces or swap for beef chuck or pork shoulder
- 2 large onions – roughly chopped
- 2 large carrots – sliced into rings
- 1 large celery branch including the leaves – roughly chopped
- 600 g root vegetables such as potatoes/turnips/parsnips or celeriac – cut into large cubes use two-thirds potatoes and make up the rest with root veg of your choice
- 2 large sweet red pepper – seeded and cut into large strips
- 3 large cloves garlic – roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp hot paprika
- 1 tsp caraway seeds – crushed
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 large stalks of flat leaved parsely – plus a little extra for garnish
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tin cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes
- olive oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2-3 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp smoked paprika or sweet paprika
Marinade for Wild Boar
- 1 bottle red wine
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp all spice berries
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
Wild Boar Marinade
- Add the wild boar and marinade spices to a large non-metallic bowl. Add the wine until it covers the meat. Add the wine vinegar and cover. Leave in the fridge overnight or for up to 24 hours.
Alternative Beef or Pork Version
- If using beef or pork, there is no need to marinade. You can also swap the wine for a meat stock or a 50/50 stock/wine mixture. You will need approximately 750 ml of wine or stock.
Goulash
- Drain the meat, reserving the wine but discarding the spices. Dab the meat dry and brown it in olive oil in the casserole dish. Add the onions, carrots, celery and red pepper. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the herbs and remaining spices, and a very generous grinding of black pepper. Toss over to cover the meat in the spices. Sear for another minute, then add half the wine marinade or stock. Add the parsley.
- Bring to a boil and then simmer on very low heat. After thirty minutes, add a tablespoon of tomato paste, the tinned tomatoes, and a little more marinade/stock.
- Meanwhile, chop the root vegetables and add them after the first hour of cooking. Simmer gently, adding more marinade (stock or wine) until the meat and potatoes are soft. Each time you add the marinade, bring the stew back to a boil for a couple of minutes, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. This version has lots of sauce – more like the traditional goulash soup. It is up to you how soupy or stewy you want it. If you've run out of marinade/stock, feel free to add a little water. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly – you may need to add a little salt.
- Depending on the meat, it may take 2-3 hours to cook*. Adjust the cooking times if you swap the wild boar for other meats.
- Garnish with sour cream and smoked paprika. Serve with a big green salad, sauerkraut or cabbage salad and plenty of bread to mop up the sauce.
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