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Wild Boar Loin with Asparagus

Hank Shaw is a master with wild game and foraged foods. Check out this recipe and others at:

honest-food.net
This recipe combines springtime veggies and a perfect meat for spring — wild boar tenderloin. The only hard part is making the sauce, and that isn’t so much difficult as it is time-consuming. And the sauce can be made up to a day ahead. After that, this dish comes together very quickly. This recipe would also be good with pheasant breast, lamb, venison, or even sturgeon. A word on the medium-cooked pork. This boar had been frozen for some time, which will kill any trichinae parasites should they be present (this is a remote possibility, but better safe than sorry). Should you have fresh pork, be sure to cook it to at least 140 degrees, which will kill the parasite; I cook mine to about 145-150 degrees, which is a blush of pink.

PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
SERVES: 4

Ingredients

  • Wild Pork Loin  ·  1 pound 
  • Unsalted Butter - divided  ·  2 tablespoons 
  • Kosher Salt  ·   
  • Asparagus  ·  1 pound 
  • Olive Oil  ·  1 tablespoon 
  • Green Garlic  ·  6 stalks 
  • Green Onions  ·  3 stalks 

Instructions

  1. Make the sauce. Get a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it well. it should taste like the sea. Blanch the green garlics and onions, white part down — hold them by the greens in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes. I suppose you could chop them in half and then blanch the two parts separately, but I have not tried this. After the white ends have been in for 3-4 minutes, toss the rest in and let it all boil for 2 minutes.
  2. Remove and dump into a large bowl of ice water to cool. Take the veggies out and chop roughly. Put the green onions and green garlics into a food processor and buss the hell out of them, scraping down the sides from time to time. It will take a bit of doing to incorporate, but you will eventually get a bright green puree.
  3. Now the hard part. Push the puree through a tamis or fine-meshed sieve. This will take some effort. Take your time and keep at it for about 10 minutes or so, or until there are only fibers in the mesh. Save the strained puree for now.
  4. Salt the pork pieces well and set aside. Turn on the broiler.
  5. Using the tablespoon of olive oil, coat the asparagus well and then salt them. Put one tablespoon of butter in a saute pan set on high heat. When the butter melts, turn the heat down to medium-high.
  6. Put the asparagus under the broiler. Saute the boar tenderloin over medium-high heat, turning to hit all sides. You are looking for medium here — just a blush of pink. When the tenderloins are about done, remove the asparagus (the timing should work out.)
  7. Pour the green onion/garlic puree into a small pot and add the other tablespoon of butter, set of medium-low heat and swirl to combine. Do not let this boil. Add salt to taste.
  8. Let the boar rest while the sauce heats up. The second the sauce begins to bubble, turn off the heat and lay down some sauce on the plate. Top with the asparagus, and then with the tenderloin cut thinly.

Paired Wines

2022 Belli Chardonnay

2022 Belli Chardonnay

Elegantly composed Chardonnay from celebrated Russian River Vineyard
Highly Recommended
$56