Wild Boar Chops with Saskatoon Berry Chutney

Wild boar is lean meat that should, as a rule, be cooked at lower temperatures than other meats. Avoid overcooking. Wild boar, raised like beef, is range fed and therefore can be served on the rare side. A rule of thumb for cooking wild boar is low and slow. The temperature for cooking roasts for example, is 250-275 degrees Fahrenheit. Wild boar is excellent barbecued. When prepared properly it is flavorful and very tender.

Ingredients

½ cup flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4-6 wild board chops (pork loin rib chops are good)

2-3 tablespoon olive oil

Saskatoon Berry Chutney:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 green apple

½ cup Stolen Harvest Saskatoon Berry mead, or Fruits of the Forest, or other red wine

1 tablespoon dijon mustard (or more to taste)

1 cup fresh or frozen saskatoon berries ( or ½ cup saskatoon berry jam)

1/2-3/4 cup sugar

1-2 tsp fresh minced ginger

2-3 allspice berries, ground

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a heavy duty zip-top plastic bag. Place the pork chops in the bag, seal it and flip and flop them around until they are coated with the flour on all sides.

Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and butter and heat until the oil sizzles. Add the floured boar chops and sauté them until golden on each side, turning once. The time will depend on the thickness of the chops.

While the chops are browning, finely dice the green apple. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the diced apple and sauté, stirring often, until the apple is translucent. Add the saskatoon berries and sugar. Heat until the berries release their juices and crumple.

Add the saskatoon berry mead, turn the heat to medium, and continue cooking and stirring until the wine is reduced and absorbed by the apples. The mixture should have no visible liquid left, but not be totally dry either. This should take about 5 more minutes.

Stir in the mustard, ginger, allspice and cardamom. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer chutney for 2 more minutes. Keep warm until the pork chops are cooked. (If you timed it right – they should be finished around about the same time – good work!)

Serve the pork chops with the saskatoon berry chutney.

Serves 4 to 6