Marinated baked wild pig in wine sauce with root vegetables

Hearty and delicious Winter dish to enjoy with the family and guests. In Greece local or imported wild pig ("Agrio-gourouno" in Greek) is sold throughout Winter, particularly during the holiday season at many butcher shops. Unfortunately nowadays not many local breeds are left as most livestock breeders prefer the more profitable foreign breeds or those cross-bred with local breeds. A rare exception is an area in Trikala (Central Greece) where thoroughbred Greek wild pigs are still around which they feed on acorns and other fruits of the forest, which gives their meat its delicious flavour

Recipe of Alexandros Papandreou,

a prominent Head Cook

"Gastronomos" magazine of "KATHIMERINI" newspaper (2009)

Ingredients (for 8 people):

2 Kg of wild pig (from the shoulder), cut into 4cm chunks
3 carrots, cut into 3-4 cm rounds
3 onions, cut into large chunks
2 stalks of celery, cut in half
4-5 whole cloves
1 tsp of allspice kernels
750 ml of red dry wine
1/3 tea-cup of olive oil
2-3 tbsp of all-purpose flour
500 ml of warm stock (if needed)
4 tbsp of honey
1.5 Kg of small potatoes, peeled (or larger potatoes, cut in wedges)
salt

pepper

Method:

Put in a large bowl the meat, the carrots, the onions, the celery, the cloves and the allspice. Pour over with the wine, cover the bowl with cling film and leave in the fridge to marinate for 24 hours. Stir the ingredients every 6-8 hours so all the meat is equally coated by the marinade.

The next day, drain the meat and vegetables of the marinade, discard the celery and strain the marinade into a bowl which you keep aside.

Preheat the oven to 150°C.

Using a large pot with a lid (**appropriate for both oven and cooker) sauté the meat in the oil, over a high heat, along with the carrots and the onions for about 5 minutes or until the meat is evenly browned.

Dust with the flour, season with salt and pepper, stir with a wooden spoon and pour over with the marinade. Add the honey and stir until it is dissolved in the hot juices.

Cover the pot and transfer in the oven. Bake for 3 hours. Every hour, remove from the oven and gently stir the food, adding extra stock if needed.

When the 3 hours are up, add the potatoes and raise the temperature to 180°C. Bake for 1 more hour or until the meat is tender and the potatoes cooked through. Again, add extra stock if necessary.

Check the seasoning and serve.

Notes:

* If you prefer a more delicate sauce then take the meat, the potatoes and the carrots from the pot and put the remaining liquids into a blender along with what is left of the onions. Strain the sauce and if it is too thin then boil until it is thickened enough.

** If you don't have such a pot you can start the cooking in a large heavy-bottomed pot and then transfer the ingredients into a deep baking pan to finish off.