Company’s a’comin’

8 Replies

That’s right! For the first time in over TWO years we are having visitors! I’m very excited. I will get into the who, the how, and the why…later. But for now, I’m getting ready for them.

Last week I procured some wild boar, called Cinghiale here. We here in Umbria and Tuscany are pretty much over-run with them. They breed twice a year with from 3 to 13 piglets every litter. They are so prevalent here, and so destructive, that there are no limits as to how many you can kill, in-season. I wrote a blog a few years ago about the Cinghiale hunts around here. Highly orchestrated. Interesting reading. Tis the season of the Cinghiale hunt.

Today, I am preparing cinghiale ragu. It takes hours to cook to be tender. And I can freeze it for an evening pasta dinner. I’m sitting here now and smelling it cooking. Devine!

Marinate overnight in red wine, herbs, bay leaves, juniper berries, rosemary, peppercorns, onions,
This is the basis of practically any Italian sauce. Called sofrito. There is this in almost every cuisine, different name of course.
Once marinated I chopped the meat up small.
Up the heat and add to the sofrito until it gives up its juices completely.
To add a bit of fat (and flavor) some sausage is added.
Added the passata…tomato sauce, a basis to much sauce here. And some water. Then simmer three hours or more.
The finished ragu

We won’t eat this now, but I borrowed a picture of what the dish will look like, from the recipe which is an Italian recipe from ideericette.it .

I think we will all enjoy this dish!

8 thoughts on “Company’s a’comin’”

  1. Nancy Hampton Post author

    Hi Tony…I “had” to taste it while making it 😉 it IS good! Next week we eat like kings!

  3. Nancy Hampton Post author

    Hi Philip,
    I found a place here in our town who has goat, boar, deer, etc. It isn’t something you’ll find at a normal butcher. I also get it from friends who hunt. The season just started so not a lot around right now from them.

  5. Nancy Hampton Post author

    Hi Eric,
    They can be dangerous. Especially the sows with babies. But also the big males. They tend to be more afraid of us, like bears in the US so if you don’t threaten them you’ll be Ok.

  7. Eric Rose

    Looks delicious! I’ve heard that wild boars can be dangerous if you run into them in the wild. Is it something you need to be careful about when hiking in Umbria (like on Mount Subasio)? If so, have you heard of any ways that locals protect or defend themselves in such encounters?

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