Chef Margarida
Açorda de Camarão
The peasant bread soup of Alentejo dressed for company, sweet pink prawns swimming in a broth of garlic, coentros, and golden azeite. Humble origins, elegant result. This is who we are.
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Javali Estufado
Created by
The hunter's reward from Alentejo's cork oak forests, wild boar braised for hours in red wine until it surrenders to the fork. This is autumn on a plate, the smell of woodsmoke and bay leaves filling the kitchen.
Main Dishes
Portuguese, Alentejo
Special Occasion
Dinner Party
40 min
Active Time
3 hr cook•3 hr 40 min total
Yield6 servings
When autumn comes to Alentejo, the hunters go out before dawn. They come back with stories and, if they're lucky, javali. Wild boar from the montado, those ancient cork oak forests where the pigs roam and root and grow fat on acorns. This is what we do with that gift.
Avó Leonor didn't hunt, but her brothers did. When they brought boar to her kitchen, she knew exactly what to do. The meat goes into wine the night before. Always. Game needs time to soften, to let the wine work its way into the fibers, to mellow that wild flavor into something rich and deep. She'd say, "O javali não tem pressa." The boar is in no hurry. Neither should you be.
This isn't restaurant food. This is what happens when a family gathers around something that took effort to bring home. The long braise, the house filling with the smell of wine and bay leaves, everyone waiting, drinking, talking. By the time the meat is ready, falling apart at the touch of a fork, the whole day has built toward this moment.
At Mesa da Avó, I serve this in late autumn with nothing but good bread and roasted batatas. The bread is for the molho, that dark, wine-rich sauce that demands to be soaked up. Pão, azeite, vinho, sempre. Some things don't need improving.
Wild boar hunting in the Alentejo montado dates back to Roman occupation, when the region's cork oak forests already teemed with game. The estufado method, long braising in wine, developed as a way to tenderize tough game meat while the wine's acidity mellowed the strong flavors. During the Estado Novo period, hunting rights were restricted to landowners, but rural families found ways to keep the tradition alive.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
wild boar shoulder or leg
Quantity
1.5 kg
cut into 5cm chunks
red wine
Quantity
750ml
extra virgin olive oil (azeite)
Quantity
3 tablespoons
onions
Quantity
2 large
sliced
garlic cloves
Quantity
6
smashed
bay leaves
Quantity
4
black peppercorns
Quantity
1 tablespoon
whole cloves
Quantity
4
cinnamon stick
Quantity
1
tomato paste
Quantity
2 tablespoons
sweet paprika (pimentão doce)
Quantity
1 tablespoon
beef or game stock
Quantity
200ml
orange zest
Quantity
from 1 orange
in wide strips
red wine vinegar
Quantity
2 tablespoons
coarse sea salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon, plus more to taste
flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
for serving
chopped
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| wild boar shoulder or legcut into 5cm chunks | 1.5 kg |
| red wine | 750ml |
| extra virgin olive oil (azeite) | 3 tablespoons |
| onionssliced | 2 large |
| garlic clovessmashed | 6 |
| bay leaves | 4 |
| black peppercorns | 1 tablespoon |
| whole cloves | 4 |
| cinnamon stick | 1 |
| tomato paste | 2 tablespoons |
| sweet paprika (pimentão doce) | 1 tablespoon |
| beef or game stock | 200ml |
| orange zestin wide strips | from 1 orange |
| red wine vinegar | 2 tablespoons |
| coarse sea salt | 1 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| flat-leaf parsleychopped | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •Heavy 5-liter Dutch oven or clay pot
- •Large bowl for marinating
- •Fine-mesh strainer
Instructions
- 1
Marinate the boar
Place the boar chunks in a large bowl or deep dish. Add the wine, half the sliced onions, half the garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, and orange zest. Turn the meat to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, preferably 24. Turn the meat once or twice if you remember. The wine will work into the fibers, tenderizing and flavoring the meat. This step is not optional.
Game must marinate. Don't skip this. The difference between tough, gamey meat and something tender and rich comes down to this overnight bath. - 2
Prepare the meat
Remove the boar from the marinade and pat each piece completely dry with paper towels. Wet meat won't brown. Strain the marinade and reserve the liquid. Pick out and keep the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Discard the rest of the solids.
- 3
Brown the boar
Heat the azeite in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches so you don't crowd the pan, brown the boar pieces on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. The meat should develop a deep brown crust. This isn't optional. This is where flavor lives. Transfer browned meat to a plate. Add more oil between batches if needed.
If you crowd the pan, the meat steams instead of browns. Work in batches. Patience here pays off in the final dish. - 4
Build the refogado
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the remaining onions to the pot with a pinch of salt. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 12 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and the paprika. Stir for one minute until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and stir for another minute, letting it caramelize slightly against the bottom of the pot.
- 5
Braise low and slow
Pour in the reserved marinade and the stock. Add the vinegar, salt, and the reserved bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Return the boar and any accumulated juices to the pot. The liquid should come about two-thirds up the meat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to low, and let it braise gently for 2.5 to 3 hours. The meat is ready when it yields completely to a fork, almost falling apart.
Check the pot every 45 minutes. The liquid should be at a lazy simmer, barely bubbling. If it's boiling, the meat will toughen. If your stovetop runs hot, use a diffuser or transfer to a 150°C oven. - 6
Finish the molho
Transfer the meat to a warm platter and tent with foil. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick from the sauce. If the sauce seems thin, bring it to a boil and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust salt. The sauce should be rich, deeply colored, and slightly syrupy. Spoon it generously over the meat. Scatter parsley on top. Serve immediately with bread for soaking up every drop.
Chef Tips
- •If you can't find wild boar, domestic pork shoulder works, but reduce the marinating time to 8 hours and expect a milder result. The gamey depth of true javali is irreplaceable, but a good braise is still a good braise.
- •Use an Alentejo red if you can find one. These wines are made for this dish. Bold, earthy, built to stand up to game. Save some to drink alongside.
- •The orange zest is traditional and essential. It adds a brightness that balances the richness of the braise. Use a vegetable peeler to get wide strips without the bitter white pith.
- •This dish is better the next day. The flavors deepen as it sits. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of stock if needed.
Advance Preparation
- •The boar must marinate 12 to 24 hours before cooking. Plan accordingly.
- •The finished stew improves dramatically overnight. Make it a day ahead, refrigerate, and reheat gently before serving.
- •Leftovers keep refrigerated for 4 days. The flavors only get better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 250g)
Calories
430 calories
Total Fat
20 g
Saturated Fat
5 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
13 g
Cholesterol
160 mg
Sodium
400 mg
Total Carbohydrates
10 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
45 g
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