Ingredients

• 700g/1lb 9oz boneless wild boar shoulder
• 4-5 tbsp sunflower oil
• 4 rashers rindless smoked streaky bacon or pancetta
• cut into 1cm/½in slices
• 1 large onion
• finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• crushed
• 75g/2½oz pitted black olives
• rinsed
• drained and sliced
• 2 tsp juniper berries
• lightly crushed in a pestle and mortar
• 500ml/18fl oz red wine
• 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 beef stock cube
• 2 large bay leaves
• 3 bushy sprigs thyme
• 1 rosemary stalk
• around 12cm/4½in long
• leaves finely chopped
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• freshly cooked pappardelle pasta
• to serve
• parmesan shavings
• to serve

Directions

• Cut the boar into chunky pieces
• each around 2.5cm/1in. Trim off any really hard fat or sinew as you go. Season the meat really well with salt and pepper. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan.
• Fry the boar in two batches over a medium-high heat until nicely browned on all sides
• turning every now and then and adding more oil if necessary. As soon as the boar is browned
• transfer to a large flameproof casserole or large saucepan.
• Pour a little more oil into the pan in which the boar was browned and fry the bacon for 2-3 minutes
• or until the fat crisps and browns. Scatter over the meat. Add a touch more oil to the frying pan and fry the chopped onion over a low heat for five minutes
• stirring often until beginning to soften.
• Stir the garlic
• olives and crushed juniper berries into the pan and cook for two minutes more
• stirring. Add to the flame-proof casserole with the meat and pour over the wine.
• Stir in the tomatoes
• tomato purée and 500ml/18fl oz cold water. Crumble over the stock cube
• add all the herbs and the sugar and bring to a simmer.
• Stir well
• cover loosely with a lid
• reduce the heat to low and leave to simmer very gently for 2½ hours
• or until the boar is completely tender and falling apart.
• Remove the lid every now and then and stir. If the liquid reduces too much
• add a little extra water. The sauce should be fairly thick when you are finished
• but not at all dry. Remove the thyme and rosemary stalks and bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Toss the ragù with freshly cooked pappardelle pasta and sprinkle with a few parmesan shavings to serve.