August 10, 2021

Smothered Wild Boar Chops

Look beyond the basic smoked and pulled recipes of wild boar, and create something mouthwatering like this savory wild boar bone-in chops.
By Chef Jesse Griffiths

Cooking with Chef Jesse

Servers 4

What you need

  • 8 bone-in boar chops from a medium sized hog, or more if using smaller chops
  • 2 tbsp lard
  • Flour, as needed
  • 4 onions, sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 quarts pork or chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper

For the Brine:

  • 2 quarts water
  • ½ cup salt
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 star anise pods

Make the brine: combine all the ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil, then stir to dissolve. Cool the brine completely before adding the chops. Brine the chops for 4 hours in the refrigerator.  

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat the lard in a large, oven-proof pan over medium heat. Dredge the chops in the flour, shaking off excess. Brown the chops very well in the lard and remove to a plate. Add the sliced onions to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add 4 tbsp flour to the onions and stir well. Slowly add the stock, stirring and scraping the pan well, until the stock is incorporated and slightly thickened.  Return the chops to the pan, bring to a simmer, cover and bake for 2 hours in the oven. Serve over rice with greens cooked with bacon.