Over the Chuseok holidays I managed to score some wild boar meat from a hunter. Since the extinction of most of the wild boar’s predators the wild boar population has exploded. The result is an unbalanced ecosystem and the boars clashing with the human population; tearing up garbage bags and getting into yards and even into homes and shops. As a result they are hunted in Korea by licensed hunters with strict quotas and only in certain seasons. Real wild boar is not usually sold in stores and if it is it will cost you an arm and a leg. You best hope is to befriend a Korean hunter and ply him with Armagnac.

Wild Boar Chile

Wild boar, especially the leg and shank, need to be marinated for 24 hours before they go into your chilie. This will not only tenderize the meat but also mellow out the gaminess.

For the marinade:

1 bottle of white wine
1 carrot, roughly chopped
3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
6 gloves of garlic, bashed
6 juniper berries (if you have them)
a handful of black peppercorns

Cube the boar meat and add it to the marinade in an airtight plastic bag. Leave it in the fridge for 24 hours.

For the Chile:

2 medium onions
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 fresh red chili, seeded, and, finely, chopped
2 cans chopped tomato
2 cans red kidney beans, drained
1/2 stick cinnamon
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Chop up the onions and garlic in the food processor or go mental on them with a knife.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onions and garlic until they softened. Add the chilli powder and cumin and salt and pepper to taste.

Add the meat to the pan, cooking it until slightly browned, drain any excess fat.
Add the tomatoes, cinnamon stick and a wineglass of water. Season a little more if need be.

Bring to the boil, cover with a lid, then turn the heat down to simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Add the red kidney beans 30 minutes before the end of cooking time.

Basic Cornbread

Corn meal is sold in Korea by a Korean company but is still hard to find. Hannam Market in Seoul is a sure bet, I’ve bought it there many times. This recipe also requires a proper oven and can’t be done in a toaster given the high temperatures needed.

1 cup corn meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg

2 tablespoons of butter

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the milk and eggs in a separate bowl and them combine the two. Grease the inside of a cast iron skillet or heavy pan and pour in the mixture. Cook at 500 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

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