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1
Place the boar pieces in a deep non-reactive vessel. Add the carrot, onion, celery, and garlic. Scatter over the juniper berries, rosemary, and cloves. Pour in 750 ml of Sforzato and the red wine vinegar — the meat must be fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours, 48 hours being the standard. The marinade is ready when the flesh has visibly darkened and firmed at the surface, with no raw, bright-red interior showing at the cut edges.
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2
Remove the boar pieces from the marinade. Strain and reserve the liquid. Pat each piece completely dry with kitchen paper. Heat the rendered boar fat or lard in a wide, heavy braising vessel over high heat until it shimmers and begins to haze. Sear the boar pieces in batches — never crowding the pan — until a deep mahogany crust forms on each face. This is where the dish lives or dies: a crust that is merely browned rather than deeply coloured will not produce the required depth in the final braise. Remove the seared pieces and set aside.
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3
Deglaze the braising vessel with 250 ml of additional Sforzato, scraping up the sediment. Return the seared boar to the pan. Pour in the strained marinade liquid to cover the meat. Bring to a bare simmer, then reduce heat to maintain 85–90 °C — never a rolling boil. Cover with a lid and braise for a minimum of 3 hours. The boar is done when the meat yields completely under light pressure from a spoon and separates along its grain without resistance.
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4
Lift the braised boar from the vessel and set aside, covered. Strain the braising liquid into a wide saucepan, pressing the solids — or blend those marinade vegetables into the liquid for a thicker sauce. Reduce the liquid over a steady medium heat by two-thirds until it coats the back of a spoon in a glossy, clinging layer. Add the dark chocolate in the last 30 minutes of reduction, stirring to incorporate. The sauce is ready when a finger drawn across the back of the coated spoon leaves a clean line that does not run.
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5
Return the boar pieces to the reduced sauce. Warm together gently over low heat for 10 minutes, turning the meat so every surface is glazed. The smell at this stage — wine reduction, chocolate, juniper, and rendered fat — should be fully integrated, without any single element asserting above the others.
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6
Bring the salted water to a rolling boil in a heavy-based pot. Whisk in the buckwheat flour and bramata together in a slow, steady stream, stirring continuously. Reduce to the lowest possible heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta masses and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pot. Remove from the heat. Stir in the Valtellina Casera DOP until fully melted and incorporated. The finished polenta must hold its shape when mounded — firm enough to bear the weight of the braise without spreading.
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7
Spoon a firm mound of Polenta Taragna onto each warmed plate. Lay two or three pieces of glazed boar alongside or partially over the polenta. Spoon the sauce generously over both. Serve immediately.