Cinghiale alla Maremma (stewed wild boar Maremma-style)
Maremma is the southwestern part of Tuscany, including the southwest coast of Tuscany and the town of Grosseto. It is famous for chestnuts, wild mushrooms, and game. More recently, the Maremma has become popular as a wine-producing region. The town of Grosseto is one of the most famous places for wild boar in all of Tuscany.
(recipe modified from A Culinary Traveler in Tuscany: Exploring & Eating off the Beaten Track by Beth Elon; The Little Bookroom, 2006.)
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary
2 pounds wild boar shoulder, cubed
1 ½ cups red wine (Chianti)
1 can San Marzano tomatoes, chopped
20 black olives, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil and the rosemary in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add meat and brown well on all sides. Add salt, pepper, and wine. When the wine is reduced to about half, add the tomatoes, lower the flame and simmer covered for about 2 ½ hours, until the meat is very tender. Add the olives, taste for salt and pepper and serve over polenta.
Polenta:
8-10 cups water
2 cups coarsely-ground polenta (found in the bulk section of grocery stores)
salt
In a heavy pot, bring water to a boil, add salt and slowly whisk in polenta (to avoid lumps). Lower heat and simmer slowly for about 3 hours. If polenta dries out too much and is in danger of burning, add a little more water throughout the cooking.
Note: most recipes for slow-cooking polenta say to cook it for 40 minutes. I have discovered that that is not nearly enough. The polenta might be o.k. to eat after 40 minutes, but the flavor really develops after cooking over very low heat from at least 3 hours. I am grateful to Bill Bufford for this trick.
