COLA BRAISED WILD BOAR TOASTED PEANUT GREMOLATA
Browned wild boar shoulder is cooked until tender in cola, then served with a chunky toasted peanut gremolata and a reduced pan glaze. It is a rich wild boar dinner with sweet-salty depth from the cola and a brighter finish from the herbs, lime, and peanuts.
Ingredients
For the Cola Braised Wild Pork
- 3 pounds boneless pork (shanks work great as well)
- A mixture of 2 parts Coca-Cola and 1 part water (example, 2 cups cola for every 1 cup of water).
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme,
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (any high smoke point cooking oil will work)
For the Toasted Peanut Gremolata
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup high quality peanut oil (if you can't find, use olive oil)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup toasted peanuts
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
STEP ONE: Start the pork
- Pre-heat your oven to 350 degree F. In a deep sided skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Sear the pork on each side until nice and brown. Add enough of the 2 to 1 ratio cola/water mixture to cover the pork 3/4 of the way. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Cook for 1.5 to 2 hours or until for tender. Meanwhile start on the potatoes.
STEP THREE: Make the Toasted Peanut Gremolata
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse around 10 times. You don't want a puree, you're looking for a chunky mixture. Season with salt and pepper to your liking and mix to combine. If you don't have a food processor, you can chop all of the ingredients with a knife and mix together in a bowl.
STEP FOUR: Make the Glaze
- After your pork is tender remove it from the pan. Strain 2 cups of cooking liquid into a pot.
- Bring the strained liquid to a slow simmer and reduce by half. You're looking for the consistency of maple syrup here. This should take around 20-30 minutes.
NOTES
- Brown the meat well first. Season the boar with salt and pepper, then sear it on all sides before adding the cola mixture so the roast starts with more depth.
- Cover only partway. Add enough of the 2-to-1 cola-and-water mixture to come about three-quarters of the way up the meat. That keeps it moist without washing out the flavor.
- Cook until fork-tender. Start checking around 1 1/2 hours and keep going until the shoulder gives easily when pierced.
- Keep the gremolata chunky. Pulse it just enough to chop everything together. Do not puree it.
- Reduce the cooking liquid fully. Strain out 2 cups of the braising liquid and simmer it until it reduces by half and looks about as thick as maple syrup.
- Use shanks if needed. Wild boar shanks work with the same method if that is what you have.
Nutrition
Calories: 1218kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 86g | Fat: 91g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 54g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 204mg | Sodium: 359mg | Potassium: 1611mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 930IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
Make this recipe?Mention @Larry__White or tag #WildGameGourmet!