Chef Jesse Griffiths, Dai Due, Austin, TX, Texas, Recipes, Chef’s Recipes, Smothered Boar Chops, Tomato-Braised Turkey Legs, Anise Brine, Boar Chops, Wild Turkey Legs, Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil, Onion, Carrots, Dried Sage, Fennel Seed, Red Wine, Crushed Tomatoes, Game Bird Stock, Lemon Zest, Fresh Parsley, Lard, Oil, FLour, Bay Leaf, Feral Hog Stock, Afield Cookbook, A Chef’s Guide To Preparing and Cooking Wild Game and Fish
Recipes
Smothered Boar Chops
Recipe courtesy of chef Jesse Griffiths
Browning fatty cops, then slow-cooking them with lots and lots of sweet onion, results in tender, flavored pork and an incredibly savory gravy -- scented by the anise brine -- that should served over plain rice or mashed potatoes. I wouldn’t serve smothered chops without braised greens, either. This recipe works well with chops of all sizes, including tiny ones from 30-pound pigs to the big boar chops from a giant feral hog. Some chops may need a bit more cooking, so plan accordingly.
Photo Credit: Jody Horton
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in boar chops from a medium hog (more or less if using smaller or larger chops)
- 1 recipe Anise Brine (see below)
- 4 tablespoons lard or oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 8 onions, thinly sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 gallon Feral Hog Stock, chicken stock, or water
Directions
1) Brine the chops for 12 hours in a nonreactive container in the refrigerator, then remove and pat dry with paper towels.
2) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
3) In a large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, heat the lard or oil over medium heat. Dredge the chops in the flour, shaking off the excess. Reserve the left-over flour.
4) Brown the chops very well in the fat, about 4 minutes per side, and transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions and bay leaf and cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5) Add 6 tablespoons of the flour to the onions and stir well. Slowly add the stock, stirring and scraping the pan well, until all of the stock is incorporated and the mixture is slightly thickened.
6) Return the chops to the pan, bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and bake in the oven until tender, 2 or more hours. Serve the chops with plenty of gravy over rice or mashed potatoes.
What
Recipes for Smothered Boar Chops and Tomato-Braised Turkey Legs from chef Jesse Griffiths of Dai Due in Austin, TX.
Chef Jesse Griffiths | Recipes
September 26, 2012
Who
Jesse Griffiths is the owner and chef of Dai Due, an organic and sustainable butcher shop, local farmers market purveyor and supper club in Austin, TX.
Why
Jesse Griffiths honors Texas traditions with his locally grown and raised products, which range from boudin to bratwurst, pickled produce to preserves, chutneys and mustards.
Photo Credit: Jody Horton
Dai Due - Austin, TX
Recommended By
- Chef Jamie Bissonnette of Coppa and Toro in Boston, MA
- Chef Dave Pasternack of Esca in New York, NY
- Chef Rene Ortiz of La Condesa in Austin, TX
Cookbooks
- Afield: A Chef's Guide to Preparing and Cooking Wild Game and Fish [Buy]
Anise Brine
Recipe courtesy of chef Jesse Griffiths
The sweetness of brown sugar and the subtle flavor of star anise meld beautifully with the feral hogs. We brine everything from little chops to whole pigs in this.
Ingredients
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 star anise
- 4 bay leaves
Directions
1) In a large pot, heat 1 gallon of water and all of the ingredients over high heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
2) Let cool completely and refrigerate until needed.
Tomato-Braised Turkey Legs
Recipe courtesy of chef Jesse Griffiths
Turkey legs are relatively large and muscular, and need long cooking to break them down. Braising in tomato sauce works for tough cuts because the acid cuts the fatty, sinewy richness and breaks down the muscle structure, too. Substitute rabbit or squirrel, duck or goose legs, or feral hog shoulders.
Photo Credit: Jody Horton
Ingredients
- 2 wild turkey leg quarters, 3 to 4 pounds
- Kosher salt and freshly grounded pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, thickly sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 cup red wine
- Two 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 quarts Game Bird Stock, chicken stock, or water
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Directions
1) Season the turkey legs well with salt and pepper.
2) Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-heat and brown the turkey legs well on the skin side only, about 10 minutes. Transfer the legs to a plate.
3) Add the onions, carrots, sage, and fennel and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the red wine and cook for another couple of minutes, and then add the tomatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer, return the turkey legs to the pot, and cover. Lower the heat and simmer until very tender, 4 to 5 hours, adding more liquid as needed to keep the turkey legs mostly submerged, and turning the legs periodically.
4) Seas with salt and pepper and stir in the lemon juice and zest. Serve over Game Bird Polenta and top with the parsley.
Afield: A Chef's Guide to Preparing and Cooking Wild Game and Fish
Purchase on Amazon.com / Powells.com
Dai Due
Butcher / Supper Club
Downtown
Austin Farmers Market
Republic Square Park
4th Street and Guadalupe Street
Austin, TX 78701
T: 512.524.0688
Website:
Hours:
Sat: 9am - 1pm
