Wild Boar Roasted in a Wood-Fired Oven

Wood-fired oven-roasted wild boar gains flavour from marinating in a garlic and wine mixture overnight. It is then roasted in an earthenware dish with onion, bay leaf and white wine. Some of the sauce is used for the potatoes, which are browned in another dish before being served.

A recipe from Atalaia

The recipe was collected in Atalaia, in the municipality of Gavião, during an interview with cook Cassilda Marques Chambel. The record describes a wood-fired oven roast: the meat is turned and basted as it cooks, while the potatoes are roasted separately with sauce taken from the wild boar dish. This is the sequence we follow here.

Serves: about 6 people
Advance preparation: 24 hours of marinating
Oven time: about 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the oven heat and the firmness of the meat

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg wild boar meat in one piece or large pieces, suitable for roasting
• 1 kg small potatoes
• 3 large onions
• 1 head of garlic
• 750 ml Alentejo white wine, such as EA Branco 2025 – Vinho Regional Alentejano
• 1 lemon
• 5 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons red pepper paste
• 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
• About 150 ml water for the roasting dish, plus hot water if needed
• Black pepper and salt, to taste

Preparation

1. Marinate the day before. Crush half the garlic cloves and mix them with 500 ml white wine, the sliced lemon, 2 bay leaves, the red pepper paste, pepper and a pinch of salt. Coat the wild boar, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning the meat once or twice.
2. Prepare the oven and roasting dish. Heat the wood-fired oven and allow the flame to die down, leaving moderate heat so the outside roasts without burning. Remove the wild boar from the marinade and discard the liquid and aromatics. In an ovenproof earthenware dish, arrange the thickly sliced onions, the remaining garlic and 3 bay leaves. Place the meat on top and pour over the remaining 250 ml wine, the olive oil and about 150 ml water.
3. Roast the wild boar. Place the dish in the wood-fired oven. Turn the meat and baste it with the sauce every 20 to 30 minutes. If it is browning too quickly, move the dish away from the hottest area or cover it with a suitable lid; if the sauce reduces too much, add hot water. Allow about 2 to 3 hours, but judge by doneness: the meat should be completely cooked and tender, yielding easily to the tip of a fork.
4. Prepare the potatoes separately. Peel the small potatoes and place them in another ovenproof dish. Once the wild boar has produced sauce in the bottom of its dish, ladle some of it over the potatoes. Place them in the wood-fired oven for about 45 to 60 minutes, turning them halfway through, until tender and golden. The timing may vary; if the meat is ready first, keep it warm while the potatoes finish roasting.
5. Slice and serve. Remove the wild boar from the oven, leave it to rest for about 15 minutes and slice it. Serve with the potatoes, onion and roasting sauce.

Tips for the wood-fired oven

There is no single temperature: the heat changes depending on the oven and the embers. Monitor the colour of the meat and the amount of sauce, and adjust the position of the dish. The red pepper paste may already contain salt; taste the sauce before adjusting the seasoning.

Wine pairing

Serve EA Alicante Bouschet Tinto 2024 – Vinho Regional Alentejano with the wild boar and roasted potatoes.

Advance preparation and storage

Prepare the marinade the day before and always keep the meat refrigerated. Once cooked, cool any leftover wild boar quickly and store it covered in the refrigerator with the sauce. Reheat thoroughly before serving.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know when the wild boar is ready?

The cooking time depends on the oven heat and the firmness of the meat. Insert a fork into the thickest part: it should yield easily and be completely cooked. If it is still tough, continue roasting and keep some sauce in the dish.

Can I use the marinade to baste the meat?

Not in this version. Discard the marinade that has been in contact with the raw meat and use reserved wine, olive oil and water in the roasting dish.

Bring Alentejo to the table

Use EA Branco 2025 for the garlic and wine marinade and the roast, and serve EA Alicante Bouschet Tinto 2024 at the table. For another game dish, discover our hare escabeche.

Source

Confraria Gastronómica do Alentejo, Carta Gastronómica do Alentejo (2013), p. 196. Recipe for wood-fired oven-roasted wild boar collected in Atalaia, Gavião, during an interview with Cassilda Marques Chambel.

Recipe collected in Alto Alentejo, adapted by Herdade do Estacal for the “À Mesa com o Alentejo” blog. The source indicates 24 hours of marinating, a wood-fired oven and potatoes roasted separately with the meat sauce. This version uses olive oil instead of oil and margarine and adjusts the quantities and suggested timings.

Illustrative image generated for this article.