Braised Wild Boar in a Red Wine Jus with Truffle Polenta and Crispy Onion Rings (Hurley's in Napa Valley, Ca)

BRAISED WILD BOAR red wine jus- winter vegetables- truffle- polenta. A hearty, rich and cozy dish which is PERFECT for a cold winter night! Wild boar is a great alternative to farmed commercial pork and a beautiful meat to cook. If I could eat wild game (ie elk, bison, boar, etc) instead of hormone filled  commercial  meat each time I ate meat I would! I mean wouldn't you? When braised Wild Boar becomes beautifully tender and paired with a red wine jus, creamy polenta and truffle it becomes the perfect winter treat. This recipe is courtesy of Hurley's in Yountville, Ca.   Makes 6 Servings Combine and Marinate Overnight

3 pounds Wild Boar Shoulder de-boned, fat scored in diamond pattern  (can substitute hormone free Pork Shoulder) Pinch of Sea Salt 10 juniper berries, crushed 3 Bay leaves broken up and several sprigs of fresh thyme 1.5 cups Red Wine (Syrah, Cab or Barolo) 1 tbsp brown sugar 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup rapeseed oil or peanut oil 1 tbsp crushed black peppercorns 4 cloves garlic Ingredients 1 large carrot, peeled an diced package of Sugar Snap Peas 5 Tbls of Olive Oil 2 ribs of celery, diced 1 onion peeled and diced 3 shallots 3 cloves garlic (green inner garlic spring removed) 2 quarts veal stock For the Polenta 1 cup Polenta 1.5 cups chicken stock 1/2 cup cream

For the marinade place all ingredients in a glass bowl, add the wild boar and mix together. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 24 hrs.Remove boar from the marinade and set it aside. For the Wild Boar Preheat the oven to 300. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry with kitchen paper. Reserve the marinade. Strain all solids from wine marinade and set aside. In a saucepan, heat wine to a simmer and skim all the impurities from the top while reducing it by half. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in deep dutch oven, season the well dried boar well with salt and pepper and brown the boar for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Set aside Add the reserved vegetables to the now empty pan to lightly  caramelize them. Add the shallots and onions to the pan and cook until softened and transparent and slightly caramelized. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Next add the celery and carrot.  When vegetables are softened add them to reserved meat. Add wine, reduce again by 1/3 and finally veal stock to cover (if you find yourself short on veal stock, use a fortified chicken stock). Stir well. It is important that the meat is covered with liquid during the braising. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in a 300 degree oven for approx. 3 hrs or until very tender (after 2 hours, check every 30 mins or so).  Baste regularly by pouring cooking juices back over the meat and adding more stock if necessary. Just before the boar is done cooking uncover the pan and cook for a further 10 minutes or so. When the meat is tender, remove from the braising liquid. strain all solids from the liquid and discard. Leave the meat covered in a warm place to rest for 30 minutes.  Place the braising liquid in a saucepan and reduce slowly while skimming off the fat and impurities. Reduce until it reaches desired volume, viscosity and flavor (generally by at least half). While the sauce is in progress, take the partially cooled meat and clean off the major fat and set aside. 30 mins before serving combine meat and sauce. Re-heat gently. For the Polenta: In a large heavy based saucepan bring the chicken stock to boil over medium heat.  Add the polenta to the hot stock in a thin, steady stream. Stir immediately with a wooden spoon and continue stirring for 2-3 mins. The polenta will thicken and have the texture of a mashed potato when cooked.  Stir in the cream and season with salt, pepper and truffle oil. Slice the wild boar and serve with the pan juices and creamed polenta and garnish with herbs. For the thinly sliced onion rings follow this great detailed recipe