Wild Boar Meatballs
Wild boar meatballs simmered in a sweet-tangy escabeche-style sauce with raisins, almonds, cinnamon, and fig balsamic vinegar.
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.
NOTES
- Mix the meatballs gently. Ground wild boar can turn dense if you overwork it, so mix only until the seasonings, almonds, and raisins are evenly distributed. If the mixture feels loose, chill it for 20 to 30 minutes before shaping.
- Brown them in batches. You want good color on the outside, not fully cooked meatballs, so keep them in a single layer and do not wipe out the pot after browning. Those browned bits flavor the sauce.
- Keep the roux light. Cook the butter and flour for about 3 to 4 minutes until lightly golden, not dark brown, so the escabeche-style sauce stays glossy and balanced.
- Thin the sauce if needed. Once the stock, vinegar, wine, and seeds go in, the sauce should be silky and just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add a splash more stock if it tightens up too much.
- Simmer them very gently. Return the browned meatballs to the sauce, lower the heat so it only bubbles around the edges, and cook covered for about 20 minutes until cooked through and tender.
- Hold them warm for parties. If you are serving these as party meatballs, transfer them to a slow cooker and keep them on warm for a couple of hours.
- Freeze them in sauce. Cool the meatballs completely in the sauce, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently, adding a little stock or water if the sauce has thickened.
Nutrition
Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 813mg | Potassium: 505mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg
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!