Wild boar leaf on the bone with blueberry, cranberry and juniper sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1.6 kg venison (wild boar rump on the bone)
• 25 juniper berries, ground elder
• some thyme, dried
• some rosemary, dried
• 1 Bay leaf, ground or powdered
• 2 carnations, ground cover
• 6 allspice seeds, ground
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 m.-large onion(s), cut into twelves
• 1 carrot(s), cut into small cubes
• 1 stalk(s) leek, approx. 10 cm long, cut into thin rings
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ bottle of red wine
• 200 g blueberries
• ½ jar cranberries
• 25 juniper berries, ground elder
• ½ cup crème fraîche
• Salt
• Pepper, black and green mixed, ground

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 25 minutes

Preheat the oven to 160°C and place a casserole dish (porcelain or iron) inside. Wash, dry, and trim the meat, leaving the thin layer of fat on top. Mix the spices and rub them into the meat. Rub them in well with the olive oil. Brown well all over in a heavy iron skillet or roasting pan. Place in the casserole dish in the oven. Add a little more oil to the pan. Sauté the carrot, leek, and onion with the tomato paste. Deglaze with the red wine. Stir in the juniper berries, half of the blueberries, and half of the cranberries. Add enough water to cover, so it doesn’t become too runny, and season to taste. Simmer briefly and then pour over the meat in the oven. Simmer gently for about three hours, basting occasionally with the meat juices. When the internal temperature reaches 70°C, reduce the oven to 120°C–130°C. Continue to braise so that the tendons melt and the meat becomes tender and juicy. Once the cooking time is over, remove the meat and let it rest on a wooden board in the switched off oven. In the meantime, remove the fat from the cooking juices through a fine-mesh sieve in a fat separator jug. Return the solids to the pan and puree with a hand blender. Whisk in the crème fraîche. Add the remaining blueberries and cranberries and bring back to the boil briefly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Note 1: The large amount of juniper berries is not a typo, but intentional. In combination with the fruit, they give the sauce a very special flavor. Note 2: The meat is cooked through this way, but is still tender and juicy.