Wild boar stew with dark beer

Kitchen · Wild boar · Autumn and winter

Lees in het Nederlands

Wild boar tastes fuller and darker than pork and is at its best when slowly braised. With dark beer, mustard and a slice of spiced gingerbread, you get a Flemish-style stew that bubbles away all afternoon.

Ingredients for 4

• 1 kg wild boar shoulder or neck, in 4 cm chunks
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 onions, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp flour
• 330 ml dark beer (such as a dubbel)
• 300 ml game stock
• 2 slices of spiced gingerbread (peperkoek), spread with mustard
• 2 bay leaves and thyme
• 1 tbsp apple syrup
• salt and pepper

How to make it

1. Pat the meat dry, season and brown it in batches; set aside.
2. Soften the onions until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir in the flour.
3. Deglaze with the beer.
4. Return the meat with the stock and herbs. Lay the gingerbread on top, mustard side down.
5. Braise gently for 2.5 to 3 hours, stirring now and then: the gingerbread dissolves and thickens the sauce.
6. Stir in the apple syrup and season.

Chef’s tips

Fully cooked	Like pork, always eat wild boar cooked through
Alternative	Swap the beer for full red wine and the gingerbread for 1 tbsp tomato purée
Serve with	Fries or mash and red cabbage

More about the animal on the wild boar page. Also try venison steak and roe deer stew.