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| Wild Boar |
It’s game season, and our venison is still at the processors.
Bummer.
I rummaged through the freezer for a package of deer meat and
was surprised to find wild boar.
I just about applauded right then and there, because I
thought we had eaten it all.
(All, right – I did clap a bit, but who wouldn’t?)
It was tenderloin!
I had one last chance to do that pig culinary justice, and
pulled out an old reliable never-fail cook.
To elaborate: fruits and nuts complement game as a general
rule, and a crust helps to hold in moisture.
This recipe called for a mustard and pecan coating. No
searing, and no fussing.
I monitored it carefully while it was in the oven, even
though there was a pressing need to solve the mystery of what my husband Dan
had stashed in a Coleman cooler he deposited outside the back door.
(That was, and remains, an overriding distraction. I really
didn’t want to open it all by myself, because that never leads to pleasant
things.)
To finish the dish I made a quick pan sauce from my own homemade
jam, the farm’s butter, and Cranberry Bob’s balsamic vinegar. I love it when a plan comes together.
You really don’t want to know what was in that cooler.
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| Wild Boar Tenderloin |
Wild Boar
Tenderloin with Pan Sauce
Serves 2-3
1 lb. Boar Tenderloin (silverskin removed)*
1/2 - 2/3 Cup Roughly Chopped Pecans
1 - 2 TB Prepared Mustard (I used Maille)
Salt and Pepper
Pan Sauce:
2 TB Fruit Jam (Crabapple/Pear/Apple)
3 TB VT Cranberry Co.’s After Balsamic Vinegar
½ TB Redbarn Salted Cultured Butter
Coat tenderloin in mustard, lightly salt and pepper all
sides, and roll in nuts.
Roll tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an
hour.
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| Pecan Crusted Tenderloin |
Preheat oven to 300f
Bring meat to room temperature and place in a shallow pan.
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| Boar Tenderloin |
Bake for 35-45 minutes, until internal temperature reaches
150-155f.
Remove from oven, cover with aluminum foil and a heavy towel
for 20 minutes to rest.
Remove meat to cutting board (keep covered)
Deglaze pan over low heat with vinegar and jam. Stir in
butter. Sauce will be sweet and very
fruity.
Pork chops and loin work equally well with this method.
* Slip a sharp knife just underneath the middle of the membrane.
Working away from you, keep the blade against the silverskin, not the meat.
Turn, repeat, and remove.
