This wild boar ragu is a slow-braised pasta sauce with wild boar shoulder, bacon, mushrooms, white wine, tomatoes, and herbs. It’s finished with a little cream to smooth the dish out a bit. The cook is low and steady until the meat turns fork-tender. The sauce thickens just enough to coat pappardelle the way a proper ragu should.
Wild boar ragu is the number one dish my family requests for me to make in the winter. It’s easy to make, filling, and I can feed the kids for a week by making a double batch. And if you don’t feel like standing over the stove to make sure that it doesn’t burn, you can finish it in the crockpot. And when I don’t have a freezer full of wild hog, we switch things up and make venison ragu, which is also excellent.
After you make this ragu, try my other recipes for wild boar. And be sure not to miss my wild boar roast, braised pork shanks, crispy pork shanks, and braised pork belly.
What to Know Before You Start
This is a modern version of Tuscan ragù, with a deeper comforting feel from bacon, mushrooms, coriander, fennel, and a little cream.
Wild boar shoulder is the right cut for the job. It has enough connective tissue and fat to properly soften. You could use the ham (hind leg), but it won’t break down as nicely. And I don’t recommend using the loin or tenderloin, as they are too lean.
Keep the meat cut fairly small. Half-inch cubes are a good size here. They will break down faster, making the finished ragu easier to coat the pasta.
This sauce’s consistency depends on reducing the cooking liquid. The smaller cut vegetables will also break down, helping you create a thicker sauce.
If you don’t have any wild boar, domestic pork shoulder is the best substitute. The method stays the same. But keep in mind the finished sauce will be milder and contain a little less fat.
Key Ingredients
Wild boar shoulder
This is the backbone of the dish. The meat has enough structure to handle the long braise and enough flavor and fat to build the sauce.
Bacon
This gives you a little extra rendered fat for browning the meat and cooking the vegetables. The fat also adds a smoky, savory base that helps elevate the sauce. You could also use a store-bought Italian bacon or try my homemade pancetta recipe.
Coriander and fennel
These two spices that pair well with boar. They bring warmth and a subtle sausage-house note that complements the richness of the meat.
Onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms
The onion, carrot, and celery build the base. The mushrooms bring umami, savoriness, and body. Once they cook down, they almost disappear into the sauce, making it feel fuller.
White wine
This recipe uses white wine, which keeps the sauce from getting too dark and heavy. If you’re in the mood for using red wine, go for a dry.
Tomato paste and diced tomatoes
Enough tomato to give the sauce acidity, color, and a little sweetness.
Sage, thyme, and rosemary
A good set of herbs for wild boar and pork in general. They give the sauce a woodsy note that fits the meat’s flavor profile.
Heavy cream
Added at the end, just enough to round out the edges and give the sauce a silkier finish.
Step-by-Step Cooking Method
1. Season the meat
Place the wild boar in a large bowl. Season with kosher salt and black pepper, then add the coriander and fennel. Toss until the meat is evenly coated.
2. Render the bacon
Set a large heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the diced bacon and cook, stirring now and then, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is golden brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, but leave the fat in the pot.
You want rendered fat and lightly crisp bacon. If the bacon starts browning too fast, turn the heat down.
3. Brown the wild boar
Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the wild boar in batches if needed and brown it well on all sides, about 5 to 10 minutes per batch.
Do not crowd the pot. If the meat is packed in too tightly, it will steam and turn gray. You want hard browning and a good layer of fond on the bottom of the pot. That is where the sauce starts to build.
4. Cook down the vegetables and mushrooms
Lower the heat to medium. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are very tender and the mushrooms have fully cooked down, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes more.
The mushrooms should no longer look watery. The onions should be soft and translucent. This is not a quick sweat.
5. Add tomato paste and deglaze with wine
Stir in the tomato paste, then pour in the white wine. Scrape every browned bit off the bottom of the pot and let the wine cook until it has almost fully evaporated. The pot should smell mellow and aromatic by the end, not like raw wine.
6. Add the braising liquid and herbs
Pour in the chicken stock and diced tomatoes with their juices. Add the sage, thyme, rosemary, and reserved bacon. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer and cover with a lid.
7. Simmer until tender
Keep the ragu at a gentle simmer until the wild boar is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened, about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Time will vary. Wild boar is not always as predictable as domestic pork. The meat is ready when a cube presses apart easily against the side of the pot. If the meat is tender but the sauce still looks loose, remove the lid and let it reduce gently until it tightens up.
8. Finish with cream
Pour in the heavy cream and bring the sauce back to a gentle simmer. Taste and adjust with more salt and black pepper as needed, then turn off the heat. The finished ragu should look glossy and slightly thick.
9. Serve
Pappardelle is the best pasta for this ragu. Tagliatelle also works. Soft gnocchi is a good backup when you want a more comforting dish.
Chef Tips
- Brown the meat in batches. This will prevent the meat from steaming. You’re looking for a golden brown sear on the meat to help flavor the sauce
- Cook the mushrooms thoroughly. You want the moisture to have evaporated before you add the wine.
- Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil will reduce the liquid too fast. This means that the liquid will evaporate before the meat is tender. A steady, low simmer will give you the right timing for tender meat and a thick sauce.
- Keep an eye on the pot. A stovetop’s heat control and the type of pot you use can create variables. Take a peek after an hour of cooking to make sure the pot isn’t going dry.
- Do not add the cream too early. Use it just to finish the sauce. That keeps the cream’s flavor bright and upfront.
- This sauce tastes even better the next day. Once it sits overnight, the flavors have time to mature and meld together.
- Use a slow cooker. After the hard part of browning the meat and cooking the vegetables is complete, you can use your crockpot. See the recipe card’s notes for instructions.
Serving Suggestions
- Pappardelle is the best match for this sauce. The noodles are broad enough to catch the ragu and sturdy enough to carry the m
- Tagliatelle is a close second. Soft gnocchi works too, especially if you want something a little heavier and more comforting.
- Top the dish off with freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano. Either one works.
- A bitter green salad, roasted broccolini, or a piece of crusty bread all work as tasty sides.
Storage and Leftovers
- Let the sauce cool, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat it slowly over low heat. Add a splash of stock, water, or cream if it has thickened up too much in the fridge. Cook fresh pasta again when you serve it. That will give you the best texture.
- This wild boar ragu freezes well, too. Freeze the sauce on its own, not with the pasta. Thaw it in the refrigerator, then reheat.
- Leftovers also work well over soft polenta if you’re out of pasta. And if you’re from the South, grits are also an excellent choice.
Pork Ragu FAQ
Wild boar tastes darker and more robust than domestic pork. It still eats like pork, but with a deeper, slightly earthier character.
No. Bolognese is one style of meat sauce. Ragu is the broader category. This recipe is better described as a braised wild boar ragu.
Yes. Pork shoulder is the best substitute. The method stays the same, but the flavor will be milder.
Wild boar itself is often leaner than domestic pork, but this recipe is still a rich braised pasta sauce with bacon and cream. It is better treated like a comfort-food dinner than a light meal.
If you make this wild boar ragu recipe, drop a comment or leave a review. And if you have any cooking questions or want to share your latest dishes, send me a message. You can also watch a short video of me preparing this dish on Instagram at @larry__white.
Wild Boar Ragu
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 slices bacon, small dice
- 2 pounds wild boar shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground fennel
- 3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 16 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/4 cups white wine
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with their juices, (I like fire roasted)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
- 4 sage leaves chopped
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
For serving
- Pappardelle (tagliatelle, or gnocchi)
- Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
Instructions
- Place the wild boar in a large bowl. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Add the coriander and fennel and toss to coat.
- Heat a large heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is golden brown. Remove the bacon and leave the fat in the pot.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Brown the wild boar in batches, about 5 to 10 minutes per batch.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until tender and well cooked down, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Stir in the tomato paste. Pour in the white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook until the wine has almost fully evaporated.
- Add the chicken stock, diced tomatoes with their juices, sage, thyme, rosemary, and reserved bacon. Bring to a slow simmer and cover.
- Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the wild boar is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened. Remove the lid and reduce gently if needed.
- Stir in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper.
- Serve over pappardelle, tagliatelle, or soft gnocchi.
NOTES
- Pork shoulder is the best substitute if wild boar is not available.
Pappardelle is the best pasta pairing for this sauce. - If the sauce tightens up in storage, loosen it with a splash of stock, water, or cream.
- Slow Cooker Option: After browning the bacon, meat, and vegetables as directed, transfer everything to the slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients except the cream. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the wild boar is tender. If the sauce needs to thicken, leave the lid off for the last 30 to 45 minutes or reduce it on the stovetop after cooking. Stir in the cream at the end.
