Polish Wild Boar Stew (Gulasz z dzika)

By Culiora

Gulasz z dzika is a Polish classic featuring wild boar slow-cooked until tender with dried wild mushrooms, juniper berries, and root vegetables. The stew gains a deep, rich flavor from red wine and sour cream, traditionally served with buckwheat groats or mashed potatoes.

• Servings: 4
• Prep time: 30 min
• Cook time: 120 min
• Total time: 150 min

Ingredients

• 800 g wild boar stew meat (roast or shoulder), trimmed and cut into 3–4 cm pieces
• 20 g dried porcini mushrooms (or mixed wild mushrooms)
• 200 ml hot water (for soaking the mushrooms)
• 100 g smoked pork belly or bacon, diced
• 2 pcs yellow onions, chopped
• 3 clove garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 pcs carrots, sliced into rounds
• 1 pcs parsley root (or piece of celeriac), diced
• 2 tbsp butter or lard for frying
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 200 ml dry red wine
• 400 ml game stock or dark beef broth
• 8 pcs juniper berries, lightly crushed
• 4 pcs allspice berries
• 2 pcs bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 1 dl sour cream or smetana
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and pour 200 ml of hot water over them. Let soak for at least 20 minutes. Strain, reserving the soaking liquid, and cut the mushrooms into smaller pieces.
2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and fry the diced pork belly until the fat has rendered and it turns crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove the pork belly with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
3. Thoroughly pat the wild boar meat dry with paper towels and season with half of the salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp of butter to the pot and brown the meat on all sides in batches over high heat until well browned, about 4–5 minutes per batch. Transfer the meat to a plate.
4. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining butter. Sauté the yellow onion, parsley root, and carrots for 5–6 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and soaked mushrooms, and sauté for 1 more minute.
5. Dust with the flour and stir well to evenly coat the vegetables. Toast while stirring for about 1 minute.
6. Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
7. Pour in the reserved mushroom soaking liquid (taking care to leave behind any sediment at the bottom), stock, crisped pork belly, browned meat, and any resting juices. Stir in the crushed juniper berries, allspice berries, bay leaves, and marjoram.
8. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours until the meat is completely tender and yields easily to gentle pressure. Stir occasionally.
9. Remove the pot from the heat. Ladle a scoop of the hot cooking liquid into a bowl and whisk with the sour cream to temper it. Pour the mixture back into the stew and stir gently over low heat without letting it boil (to prevent the sour cream from curdling). Season to taste with the remaining salt and pepper.
10. Garnish generously with chopped flat-leaf parsley and serve piping hot, preferably with cooked buckwheat groats (kasza gryczana) or mashed potatoes and pickled beets.