Cinghiale in Dolceforte alla Toscana

Ingredients

• For the marinade
• 750 ml robust red wine
• 6 juniper berries, lightly crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1.2 kg wild boar shoulder or leg, cut into large braising pieces
• For the soffritto
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 60 ml olive oil
• For the dolceforte
• 60 g dark chocolate (70% minimum), finely chopped
• 40 g pine nuts
• 50 g sultanas, soaked in warm water and drained
• 40 g candied orange peel, finely chopped
• 30 ml red wine vinegar, plus more to adjust

Method

1. 1
   Combine the red wine, juniper berries, bay leaves, and rosemary in a non-reactive container. Submerge the boar pieces fully, cover, and refrigerate for 24–48 hours. The marinade is done when the meat has darkened evenly at its surface and carries a faint acidity on the nose.
2. 2
   Lift the boar from the marinade and pat each piece thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Reserve the marinade wine, discarding the solids. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy braising pot over high heat. Sear the boar in batches — do not crowd the pan — until each piece is deeply mahogany on all sides. The crust must be firm and dry to the touch before the piece is turned.
3. 3
   Reduce the heat to medium. Add the celery, carrot, and onion to the pot and cook in the residual fat until the soffritto has softened entirely and taken a light golden colour — the vegetables should yield without resistance when pressed with a spoon.
4. 4
   Return the seared boar to the pot. Pour in the reserved marinade wine to cover the meat by approximately two-thirds. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and braise over low heat for 2–3 hours. The dish is ready to proceed when a fork meets no resistance at the thickest part of each piece — the meat should begin to yield apart under light pressure, not fall apart entirely.
5. 5
   While the braise completes, prepare the dolceforte: whisk together the chopped dark chocolate, pine nuts, drained sultanas, candied orange peel, and red wine vinegar into a unified paste-sauce. It must be combined as a single addition — introducing the elements separately causes uneven distribution and the chocolate and sugar will not balance. This step decides the dish: the dolceforte must be added as one mass in the final 15 minutes only. Earlier addition will turn the chocolate astringent and over-caramelise the sugars; later addition leaves the sauce flat and unintegrated.
6. 6
   With 15 minutes of braising time remaining, stir in the dolceforte sauce. Maintain a very gentle simmer — visible agitation, not a rolling boil. Chocolate scorches on the pan bottom if heat is excessive. At the end of 15 minutes, draw a spoon through the sauce: it should coat the back in a glossy, continuous film. Taste for sweet-acid balance and adjust with drops of red wine vinegar as needed.
7. 7
   Remove from heat and rest the pot, uncovered, for 10 minutes. The sauce will firm gently around the meat. Serve directly from the pot onto warmed plates alongside pappardelle or creamy polenta.