Wild hogs are a menace, especially in Texas, which is home to 2.6 million of them—about 38% of the total U.S. population. These large, hooved creatures have terrorized suburbs and small towns in increasing numbers since the 1980s, but they are a particular problem for farmers. Feral pigs roam in packs, rooting through fields and trampling everything in their path. What cash crops they don’t dig up, they eat, causing an estimated $118.8 million in agricultural loss every year in the state. Like insatiable bullies, they go wherever they please, leaving a trail of destruction and piglets in their wake.
Luckily, they are also quite tasty, and hunting them is an effective way to thin the roving hordes. Until recently, your best bet for sourcing wild boar meat was to hunt it yourself or partake of it at farm-to-
table restaurants such as Dai Due in Austin. But with better infrastructure and emerging brands like Force of Nature Meats, wild boar is now available at your local H-E-B or Whole Foods Market.
The first national meat producer operating on the principles of regenerative agriculture, Force of Nature focuses on livestock raised using methods that help sustain and bolster their ecosystem. Their cattle have lifelong access to pastures, are grass-fed and grass-finished, and are slaughtered humanely.
Not so much with wild hogs, which plague the ranches the company works with and have even been known to do damage to the livestock themselves. “That’s why we’ve made efforts to bring wild boar into our supply chain and make the protein accessible to humans,” says Mike Hondorp, Force of Nature’s VP of Marketing. “Because while the animals are doing a ton of damage, it’s a super mild, very approachable protein. We’re actually delivering on our promise to do good for the environment by eating these animals.”
To pull off that feat, Force of Nature humanely traps hogs on partner ranches throughout Texas, then ships them to a USDA facility to be inspected and slaughtered. This isn’t just good news for ranchers looking to eliminate a problem—it’s also good for consumers.
While wild boar has a reputation for tasting gamey or funky, that couldn’t be further from the truth. With a flavor profile similar to commercially raised pork, it works similarly well in chili, stir fry, dumplings, or meatloaf. The meat is particularly common on Italian menus like at Houston’s Coltivare, which taps into the country’s longstanding tradition of cooking with the animal in ragus and sugos.
At Sister in Dallas, the protein is at the center of a bolognese sauce served with rye mafaldine pasta. J. Chastain, partner and culinary director at the restaurant, says using wild boar is a nod to his family in West Texas, which has battled this swine scourge for years. “That side of our family are big hunters,” he says. “I’m not really into hunting unless you’re utilizing the meat. I’m a chef. I’m going to use whatever meat we hunt.”
Wild Boar Bolognese
Sister, Dallas
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 1 pound ground wild boar meat
• 1 medium white onion, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 heaping teaspoon fennel seed
• ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup pureed canned San Marzano tomatoes*
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup red wine
• Salt to taste
Directions
1. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Sear the ground boar, stirring until browned, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Once the meat is cooked, add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, fennel seed, and red pepper flakes. Saute for an additional 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are nearly translucent.
3. Add the pureed tomato, stock, and wine. Simmer on low heat, uncovered, until thickened significantly, about 3 hours, stirring periodically. Taste for seasoning and serve hot over pasta, polenta, or gnocchi.
*Note: It is easiest to buy the smallest can of San Marzanos you can find and puree the whole thing, liquid and tomatoes, and use the leftover puree elsewhere.
