Lord of the Boars | In Sardegna

The Sardinian wild boar is a beastly animal weighing between 110-200 pounds with a compact head and short legs. The colours range from chocolate, cream, black and spotted boar. Its fur is stiff and was once used as bristles for a toothbrush. The adult male boar develops tusks which continuously grow and has teeth that protrude from the mouth. They use these tusks in self-defense.

Hunting season for Sardinian wild boar opens in November and closes in January. More often than not during those months there are men dressed in bright orange wandering the mountains with shot-gun in hand, eagerly waiting to take home the evenings meal. During these three months of open hunting season, I can hear the echo of gunfire as a hunter shoots to kill.

The local butcher has a wild boar head proudly displayed on the wall and in the meat counter there is, of course wild boar for sale. Boar stew is popular among the Sardinians and a favorite meal in the winter months. It’s a meal I have tried once and will not try again. The meat is gamely and chewy, certainly not to this Canadian girls taste buds. To each their own, different strokes for different folks. I’d rather eat Nutella.

Wild Boar

Do you like the gamely taste of boar?

12 thoughts on “Lord of the Boars | In Sardegna

  1. Its one of the most wonderful dishes I’ve tasted while on holiday there. the explosion of taste really is not a thing I will forget. So next time you go, get a good chef to make you the dish.

  2. I’ve actually never tried cooking boar before. I ate this dish at a friends house, who is Sardinian, and cooks the best Sardinian boar stew this side of the world. I just haven’t the palate for gamey dishes and no desire to cook it. But thanks for the great advice on how to cook a boar, if one happens to fall on my lap, Ill be sure to try this recipe.

  3. Too bad about the gamey dish you tried….treat boar like a woolly mammoth! You can avoid the gamey and chewy if you brine it over night, then slow cook it all day with your favorite herbs and seasonings. A soup or stew for dinner after 12 hours cooking at 250 degrees (either crockpot or roasting) would be awesome. But the meat should be tender at that point. Don’t give up…..try a different preparation.

  4. I really like the straightforward and entertaining way you describe the boar. And I’m with you on Nutella. I’ve been known to keep a jar at my bedside and occasionally take spoonfuls of the stuff when I can’t sleep.

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