Wild Boar Chili

While I probably haven't mentioned it much in any of my posts, I also like to cook.  Recently, I've been trying to cook more dishes that use beer as an ingredient.  Last week I found that Marcopa Meats in the Farmer's Market at the Grove carried Wild Boar.  Since the Superbowl was coming up, I decided to buy 10 lbs and make something.  I found this recipe by Marc Meyer, executive chef of New York’s Cookshop.  I was looking for something that used dark, earthy, and sweet flavors, and when I found this recipe that includes chocolate, aromatic chiles, blackstrap molasses, coffee, beer, and pineapple juice it was an easy sell.  Here's the ingredient list.

1/2 cup grapeseed oil
4 lbs wild boar shoulder, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
7 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup ancho chile powder
1/4 cup cumin
1 tsp chile de arbol
1 tbsp chile mulato
1 bottle dark beer
10-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup pineapple juice
4 bay leaves
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup brewed espresso

Here are some pictures from making the chili and the party that followed.

Because of the boar and the chocolate nature of the recipe, I chose Rogue Chocolate Stout for this recipe.

I had never used Blackstrap Molasses before and if you've never seen it, it's pretty intriguing stuff.  I'm gonna have to figure out a beer to use it in.

It really added a dark flavor and color to the chili.  I let it cook on low for 2 hours before adding Espresso and cocoa powder.

It ended up being somewhere between a chili and mole.

Jackie liked it... I think.

People react in shock and disgust to The Who.