These wild boar meatballs are my picadillo-inspired take on classic party meatballs. It’s a ground wild boar meatball built for cold weather and holiday gatherings. Juicy pork meatballs simmered in a sweet-tangy escabeche-style sauce with warm spices, raisins, and almonds.
If you want a different variation of meatballs, try using my wild boar sausage in place of plain ground pork. And if you’re looking for other meal ideas, check out my wild boar recipes collection.
I grew up in the Southeastern United States. Which means during the holidays, there were slow cookers full of meatballs floating in BBQ sauce, grape jelly, and vinegar. This version keeps that “set it out and let everyone graze” from my roots. But this one swaps in Latin American flavors that pair really well with wild pork. If you don’t have wild boar on hand, you can absolutely make these with domestic farmed pork.
tips for perfect meatballs
Use the right grind
Ground wild boar is lean, so you want a fairly fine, even grind. If your boar is extra lean, you can mix in a little ground pork shoulder or an extra spoon of lard or bacon fat to keep the meatballs juicy.
Added Texture
The slivered almonds and raisins pull this toward classic picadillo. It’s sweet, nutty, and perfect with boar meat. For the best texture, make sure the nuts are evenly distributed through the meat before rolling into balls.
Don’t Overwork the Meat
Mix everything until just combined. Over-mixing ground wild boar can make the meatballs dense. I like to mix seasonings together first, then gently fold in the meat to prevent overworking.
Brown first, then braise
Browning the meatballs in lard or bacon fat helps build layers of flavor. Simmering them gently in the escabeche sauce finishes the cooking process and keeps them moist.
Balance the Sauce
The sauce gets its backbone from fig balsamic vinegar and sweet red wine, rounded out with stock, cinnamon, cloves, thyme, and bay leaf. Taste and adjust with a pinch of salt or a splash more stock at the end so it’s glossy and pourable.
How to make wild boar meatballs
1. Mix and shape the meatballs
- Add the ground wild boar, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, slivered almonds, raisins, and kosher salt to a large bowl.
- Use your hands to mix gently but thoroughly until everything is evenly combined.
- Roll into 30–35 small meatballs, roughly 1 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Tip: If the mixture feels too loose, chill it for 20–30 minutes before shaping. Cold wild boar holds together better.
2. Brown the wild boar meatballs
- Heat the rendered lard or bacon fat in a medium-sized heavy pot over medium heat.
- Working in batches, add the meatballs in a single layer and brown them on all sides. You’re looking for good color, not fully cooked through.
- Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and set aside while you build the sauce.
- Don’t wipe out the pot. You want all those browned bits to flavor the sauce.
3. Make the sauce
- In the same pot, lower the heat to medium-low and add the butter or lard.
- Once melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk or stir to make a roux. Cook 3–4 minutes until lightly golden but not dark brown.
- Add the bay leaf, dried thyme, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Stir to bloom the spices in the roux for 30 seconds.
- Slowly whisk in the fig balsamic vinegar and sweet red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Whisk in the stock (pork, venison, or chicken) until smooth and lump-free.
- Stir in the toasted pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, or benne seeds. Bring the sauce up to a gentle simmer and season with salt to taste.
- The sauce should be silky and just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Thin with a splash more stock if needed.
4. Simmer the meatballs in the sauce
- Return the browned wild boar meatballs and any juices on the plate to the pot.
- Reduce the heat to low so the sauce is just bubbling around the edges. A slow simmer is all you need.
- Cover and cook about 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and tender.
5. Serve
- Serve the wild boar meatballs hot, garnished with cilantro and a sprinkle of extra pumpkin or sesame seeds if you like. They’re great piled over rice or tucked into a shallow bowl with crusty bread to soak up the escabeche.
- If you’re serving them as party food, you can transfer everything to a slow cooker and hold on “warm” for a couple of hours.
More Recipes
If you make these wild boar meatballs, drop a comment or leave a review. And if you have any cooking questions or want to share your latest creations from the kitchen, give me a shout on Instagram @larry__white.
Wild Boar Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 1/2 pounds ground wild boar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, (preferably Mexican canela)
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil (rendered lard bacon fat work great)
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, (preferably Mexican Canela)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (I like fig flavor)
- 1/2 cup fruity red wine
- 2 cups pork or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (sesame seeds also work)
- salt (to taste)
Instructions
Shape and Brown Meatballs
- Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs except the oil into a large bowl and mix until fully incorporated.
- Shape the meat into 24 round meatballs. Heat a medium-sized pot over medium heat and add the cooking oil. Working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides. Set the meatballs to the side.
Start the Sauce
- In the same pot add the butter and melt over medium low heat. Add the flour and cook while stirring frequently until it is lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce an stir until combined and ensure there are no lumps from the flour.
Simmer the Meatballs
- Add the meatballs and lower the heat until you have a slow simmer. Cover the pot and cook the meatballs for around 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. If the sauce is too thick, thin out with a little stock.
Serve
- Garnish the meatballs with cilantro, pumpkin, or sesame seeds. Serve over hot rice. If not serving right away, the meatballs will keep in the refrigerator for around 3 days.
