Filet of Wild Boar with Prune and Apple Sauce
The foothills of the Apennines line the eastern part of the Maremma and provide a congenial habitat for many species of wildlife, notably wild boar. As they range the hills, foraging at different altitudes, their diet varies, from rough vegetation to earthy treasures like acorns, chestnuts, and hazelnuts. Boar is prepared in infinite ways, from curing it and making sausages, prosciutto, and salami, to braising and roasting it. As with domestic pigs, the flavor of boar meat varies according to what the animal has consumed. Part of the luck of the hunt is bagging a boar that has feasted on acorns or chestnuts rather than meager plant foods—you can taste the difference. Here in the States, boar are domestically raised, though often allowed free range like true wild boar. The meat is generally excellent, complex in flavor and surprisingly tender. It is also easily purchased, over the Internet, right from the producers or through specialty-food merchants (see Sources, page 340) but it is expensive and you can use pork tenderloins instead in this recipe (but marinate them for only half the time). If you’ve not tried boar, this recipe for tenderloins will be a tasty and easy introduction. After marinating for several hours in wine and aromatics, the filets need only brief cooking on the stovetop. Most of the work here is transforming the marinade into a beautiful, savory-sweet condiment with plump apple wedges and prunes. It is a memorable special-occasion dish.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
For the Marinade
For the Sauce
For Cooking the Meat
Recommended Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Pour the wine into a deep stainless-steel or glass bowl, then mix in all the chopped vegetables, herbs, and spices. Trim the tenderloins of any fat or loose bits of meat, and submerge in the marinade. Cover, and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to 1 day.
Step 2
A couple of hours before cooking the meat (or earlier if you prefer), remove the tenderloins from the bowl and scrape them clean, saving all the bits and liquid of the marinade. Wrap the meat pieces, and set them aside (or refrigerate) while you prepare the sauce.
Step 3
Scrape the entire marinade into the wide saucepan, and pour in 8 cups water, stirring up the solids. Cut one of the apples into chunks (remove the core but leave the peel on), and add to the pan along with 1 cup of the prunes.
Step 4
Cover, and bring the liquid to the boil. Set the cover slightly ajar, and cook at a steady boil until all the vegetables are very soft and have released their flavor, 40 minutes or more. Uncover the pan, and continue cooking to reduce the sauce more rapidly, stirring often, until there are only 3 cups of liquid left.
Step 5
Pour the cooked marinade through a sturdy sieve or colander set over a bowl, and press on the solids to release all the juices. Return the strained liquid to the saucepan, and drop in the rest of the prunes. Peel the remaining apples, remove the cores, cut into thick wedges (at least 2 inches wide, so they will not fall apart), and drop them into the pan. Sprinkle over everything the 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Step 6
Bring the sauce back to the boil slowly, turning the fruit pieces so they’re coated in liquid. Poach the fruit at a gentle boil for 15 to 20 minutes, until the prunes are plump and soft, the apple wedges are tender but not mushy, and the juices are syrupy. Turn off the heat, and keep the fruit sauce warm while you cook the tenderloins.
Step 7
Bring the tenderloins to room temperature if chilled. Pat the meat dry, and season on all surfaces with the 2 teaspoons salt. Pour the olive oil into the wide skillet, and set over medium heat. Lay the tenderloins in the pan, side by side, and rest the rosemary branches on top. After a minute or more, when the meat is sizzling on the underside, turn the tenderloins to brown another surface, and put the rosemary back on top. Cook for another minute, rotate the tenderloins again, and reposition the rosemary.
Step 8
Now cover the pan tightly, lower the heat a bit, and cook covered, turning the tenderloins and shifting their position in the pan every couple of minutes. Keep the rosemary on top of the tenderloins, so its flavor permeates the meat.
Step 9
After 8 to 10 minutes of slow cooking, uncover the pan, raise the heat, and cook rapidly for 4 to 5 minutes, turning and shifting the tenderloins in the sizzling juices until they’re nicely caramelized all over. (Let the rosemary brown briefly in the pan, but discard before it burns.)
Step 10
Remove the tenderloins to a warm platter, to rest for 5 minutes or so. When ready to serve, cut them into inch-thick slices. Serve with warm prune-apple sauce on the side.
