A long, long, long time ago, I lived in Boulder, Colorado to pursue my bachelor’s degree. I was mid-twenties, having spent my initial adult life living in NYC after escaping my psychotic mother in Chicago. Haha, not kidding there! Escape I did at the age of 19 to get as far away from her as I could possibly muster at that time.
After 9/11, I found myself in need of a calmer existence for the time being. Having spent summers visiting my uncles in Colorado, it felt like the right place to move and finally finish my college degree. Besides being very, very white, Colorado was a beautiful state in which to live. I do miss elements of the state, but I have since discovered I am through and through a coast person. I do not like being landlocked, even with the gorgeous Rocky Mountains running through everyone’s back door.
Besides the expected beauty of Colorado, what I loved about Boulder were several of their sandwich shops. There were three in particular. One I mentioned when I wrote up my leftover turkey sandwich last fall. Another I was addicted to when I was pregnant with my son… toasted prime rib, with melted cheese, and mayo… I know, classy 😉. And the third place sold several game meat sandwiches, including a boar sandwich that was served with lettuce, tomato, and horseradish… amazing.
So, as Valentine’s Day approached this year, I had a strong desire to finally make duck breast at home… I’ve been wanting to do this for years and just never got around to it! I discovered D’Artagnan online, and in order to get free shipping, well, I purchased a number of different game meats! In addition to the duck breast, I bought venison and a roast boar, which leads us into today’s recipe!
So, roast boar… I immediately started reminiscing about this sandwich I loved in Boulder. I didn’t want to roast a boar, though, just to make sandwiches. But, I did want to capture some of the elements of that sandwich I loved.
I can’t tell you why the flavors of this dish popped into my head, but for some reason, lingonberries felt like the absolute right way to go! Then, I dusted off this old, old, old bottle of port (a bottle that I don’t know why we even have since my husband hates port and it gives me headaches!). Taking a big whiff of the port, it had all the right scents of dark berries that I knew it would be perfect for this dish.
I created a roux before adding in any liquids so that the sauce would thicken as the boar roasted and be ready to serve as a gravy as soon as it came out of the oven. Besides lingonberry jame and port, I also added minced dried juniper berries, cinnamon sticks, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Holy crap you guys, this was amazing. The gravy was divine! I added the roast boar and baked, covered, in the oven.
So, you may be asking yourself, wtf does this have to do with the sandwich you had in Boulder??? Okay, sorry, I made a slight detour. I ended up pairing this with horseradish mashed potatoes! I normally keep my mashed potatoes pretty simple, blending them together with butter, cream, and garlic salt. I love using garlic salt to make mashed potatoes. Saves on the hassle of roasting garlic heads, but it also is so easy while also giving you absolutely delicious potatoes… a step above using plain salt!
To save on calories, I used cashew milk. Absolutely feel free to use heavy cream for a creamier potato… but, I don’t really feel like cashew milk detracts from the consistency of the mashed potatoes! Then I added in horseradish sauce! Enough to give the potatoes bite without making them clear my sinuses.
This was one of the best Sunday meals I’ve made all year… I’m saying that a lot lately, aren’t I? I just said that last week when I posted my Persian lamb stew… which was indeed THE best thing I think I’ve ever posted. I’m still salivating over that dinner.
So, you may be saying to yourself, “I’m not going out and finding a roast boar to cook!” And that’s okay! This will totally work great with a pork roast… I’d opt for a boneless pork butt or pork shoulder as an alternate. The flavors will be super comparable! And you will just melt when you taste this lingonberry gravy!
Let me know what y’all think! Enjoy!
Lingonberry Roast Boar / Roast Pork with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Sunday Dinner
Ingredients
Roast Boar
~5 lb wild boar (substitute with a pork butt or pork shoulder roast)
1 sweet onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBs butter
3 TBs all-purpose flour
1 cup port (substitute with burgundy or Pinot noir)
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup lingonberry jam
1 TB dried juniper berries, finely minced
3 cinnamon sticks
¼ cup brown sugar
2 TBs apple cider vinegar
5 – 6 springs thyme
Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
4 to 5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½” – ¾” chunks)
2 TBs butter
~1 cup unsweetened cashew milk (substitute with heavy cream or milk), more or less as needed
4 TBs horseradish, or to taste
~1 TB garlic salt, or to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly season the boar (or pork roast) with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Sear the boar roast on all sides until medium brown ~ about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the roast and set aside on a plate.
Melt the butter in the Dutch oven. Add the onion, thyme, and cinnamon sticks and stir, scrapping up any browned bit. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the onions are evenly browned. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant ~ about 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir until thoroughly saturated. Slowly add the port, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed. Add in the chicken broth, lingonberry jam, juniper berries, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Thoroughly stir and remove from the heat. Place the boar roast into the pot and cover. Place in the oven and cook about 20 minutes per pound (about an hour and forty minutes) or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Remove from the oven and let sit while you finish the mashed potatoes.
When there is about 30 minutes left on the roast, fill a large pot with cold water. Season heavily with salt and add the potatoes. Partially cover and place on a high flame until boiling. Reduce the flame to medium and cook until the potatoes crumble when speared with a fork or knife (about 20 minutes).
Remove from the flame and drain. Return the potatoes to the pot and add the butter. Using a hand mixer or potato masher, add in the cashew milk a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Season to taste with garlic salt and the horseradish, mixing well.
Remove the roast from the Dutch oven and carve on a cutting board. Remove the cinnamon sticks and thyme from the sauce. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as desired. Plate the mashed potatoes with your desired vegetable. Divide the meat among plates and top with the lingonberry gravy.
Enjoy!
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