Roast Boar & Black Bean Chili
Wild boar saddle slow-roasted over Cuban-style black beans with dark rum, smoked ham, and salt pork. Hunter’s chili with deep, layered flavors and traditional egg-and-scallion garnish.
YIELD
30 servingsPREP
60 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
3 hrsThis is hunting cabin food gone upscale. A four-pound saddle of wild boar (or bone-in pork loin if boar is hard to source) gets rubbed with bacon drippings, garlic, chili powder, and cumin, then roasts directly on top of a pot of black beans the way a classic Cuban roast does. Boar’s flavor falls somewhere between pork and venison: leaner than supermarket pork, gamier and richer, with a sweetness that pairs with the dark rum and smoky ham underneath.
The bean preparation is doing real work. The traditional quick-soak (boil two minutes, rest one hour, drain) plus a 30-minute precook gets the beans halfway tender before they hit the pot. From there they finish under the boar, soaking up rendered fat and the spice rub that drips from the meat as it roasts. Two tablespoons of dark rum and a teaspoon of red wine vinegar give the beans their signature Cuban frijoles negros character: deep, slightly sweet, lifted with acid.
The serving setup matters. Hot rice on the bottom, beans and sliced boar layered on top, scallions and sieved hard-boiled egg as garnish. The egg is traditional and not optional; it adds a creamy, mellow contrast that softens the smoky, spiced beans.
Pro Tips
- Soak the salt pork in boiling water for the full 5 minutes. This pulls out excess salt that would otherwise overwhelm the beans.
- Use a meat thermometer. Boar dries out fast past 170°F (77°C); pull it the second the temperature hits, then rest tented under foil for 10 to 15 minutes to redistribute juices.
- Don’t skip the rum. Burns off but leaves behind a molasses-edged richness that defines this Cuban-influenced bean style. Use a real dark rum, not spiced rum.
- Make a day ahead if you can. The beans only get better overnight as the spices and rendered fat fully infuse.
Variations
- Substitute pork shoulder or venison loin if wild boar isn’t available. Adjust cooking time for cut and size.
- Add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa or a square of dark chocolate for a mole-leaning version.
- Stir in a half teaspoon of smoked paprika or a chopped chipotle in adobo for more pronounced smoke.
Ingredients
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the bacon drippings with the crushed garlic, two tablespoons of the chili powder, the cumin, and freshly ground pepper.
Spread over the wild boar and let stand while preparing the beans.
In a large pot, cover the beans with cold water. Heat to boiling and boil for two minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand one hour. Drain.
Wipe out the pot and return beans, cover with cold water and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain.
Preheat the oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Cook the salt pork in boiling water for five minutes. Drain and pat dry. Heat the oil in a heavy, deep casserole. Stir in the salt pork and cook over medium heat until golden, about 3 min. Stir in the onion, minced garlic, and Jalapeno pepper.
Cook 1 minute. Stir in the ham and cook two more minutes. Stir the remaining chili powder into the onion mixture. Add the beans, broth, bay leaf, oregano, vinegar and rum. Mix well.
Place the saddle of boar on top of the beans, cover and place in the middle of the oven. Cook for 1½ to 2 hours or until internal meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.
Turn the meat twice and stir the beans. Add more broth if dry. Remove the meat and allow it to stand, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, skim the fat from the chili. Cut the meat from the bone and into thin slices. Layer it over the beans. If desired, stew, covered, to tenderize the meat.
Serve with hot rice and a sprinkling of scallions and sieved eggs.
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