Tuscan wild boar ragout

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg of game meat (young or wild boar leg), boneless
• 2 onions, or 3 if needed
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalk(s) Celery (if you don’t like it, use a little less)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bunch rosemary
• nutmeg
• ¼ liter vegetable broth
• 100 g raisins, soaked in a little grappa
• 100 g pine nuts
• 100 g candied lemon peel (if you don’t like it, use a little less)
• 1 tsp cocoa powder (or some dark chocolate)
• 3 tbsp red balsamic vinegar (you can use a little more)
• ¼ liter red wine, dry (Tuscan)
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• sugar, brown

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Wash and dry the meat, and cut into goulash-sized cubes. Trim and dice the vegetables (carrots, celery, and onions), peel and finely chop the garlic. Wash, dry, and chop the parsley. Heat olive oil in a large casserole dish and sear the meat all over. Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, and parsley (reserve some for garnish) and sauté. Pour in 1 cup of red wine and season with a little nutmeg, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes over low heat. Pour in 1 cup of vegetable stock and simmer for another 30 minutes. Soak the raisins in a little grappa. Remove the meat and keep warm. Purée the vegetables in the pot with a hand blender. Return the meat to the pan and cover and simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, lightly toast the pine nuts in a small pan without any fat. Sprinkle with a little brown sugar, then stir in the candied lemon peel, cocoa powder, and raisins with the grappa, sauté briefly, and deglaze with the balsamic vinegar. Stir this seasoning sauce into the meat and vegetables, season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley and serve with baguette. Serve with a full-bodied (Italian) red wine, such as Chianti Classico or Barolo (the wine you used to cook with). I really enjoyed it, but my wife thought there was too much candied lemon peel, and my son said it tasted like Christmas stollen.