Rooting around with wild boars cont.

First and foremost, the boars themselves are due respect. The times in my career when whole animals were brought into the kitchen, a sense of reverence settled into the truest of cooks and chefs. Albeit we tend to be a bit more calloused in our humor, we feel a duty to respect and utilize everything we are given to make great food to be shared by many. Along the way, I have learned that to appreciate the “fruit” of the foods we eat, learning about its roots in the cultures and cuisines from around the world leads to true understanding.

Alright, let’s go deeper into the roots and way back when. Wild boar were loaded onto ships and brought to this side of the pond through the early shipping routes taken by the Europeans soon after Columbus. The boars served their purpose on the ships well. Brought aboard early in weight and size, they would eat the remnants, leftovers and any spoilage of the crews “culinary delights.” Their continued growth led to some tasty meat by the time they entered the Caribbean and the shores of Mexico and ultimately changed the diet of the land they soon roamed wild. The usage of boar meat in cooking spans all borders of the world. With a texture very similar to pork and a flavor similar to lean dark meat, it crosses all culinary boundaries and is simply interchanged with pork. Enough with the history lesson, let’s get to the boar that arrived at the back door of Niche.

Rooting Around With Wild Boars

Recently, we were fortunate to procure two wild boars from a ranch in Texas. What follows here is the first in a thread that will unravel the path of these boars from the Texas hill country to the plate here at Niche Restaurant. In the coming days and weeks, you can catch a glimpse of the creative process in the kitchen at Niche through a collection of history, photos, anecdotes, recipes, global methods and techniques. We welcome and encourage you to leave your thoughts and questions below.

…Sipping my coffee with early morning bleary eyes here at Niche last Tuesday morning, I answered a call from Tom at the Broken Arrow Ranch in Ingram, Texas. I chat on the phone with Tom every couple of weeks to keep up with what is coming off the ranch in the Texas hill country. I first began working with Broken Arrow Ranch for the American Bounty Dinner at James Beard’s home last year, where I served their Sika venison loin. After a quick chat with Tom and a little Texas hospitality congratulating me on the new addition to my family, he let me know that he was going to have some fresh whole wild boar ready to be shipped on Thursday if I was interested. With a few hours of thought, I talked to Chris, the creative culinary engine of the kitchen, about the idea of butchering and cooking them in as many ways as we could come up with. I could see the cogs and springs of ideas running through his mind along with a pensive yet budding excitement. Over another few slugs of creamy and sweet coffee the following morning and a bit more of his Texas hospitality, Tom assured me that he had picked out a couple hogs for me that and that they would arrive at my back door the next morning.

pasta recipe

For all of our guests on Facebook who were curious about Chris’ pasta recipe, half of the missing ingredients were literally at the tip of your finger. The ratio of the ingredients I gave earlier on the Facebook page are basic but work every time. The kneading process of making pasta is probably the most important method in the recipe. You shouldn’t need much water so just wet your hands every so often until the dough comes together. Don’t worry if it looks to dry at first, you have to allow the flour to absorb some of the moisture and fat. Within a few moments the dough will come together in a ball that leads us to the next most important ingredient to the equation: patience. You should knead aggressively for at least 10 minutes or until the dough springs back when pinched and should feel like your earlobe. Then be patient to allow the dough to rest for at least an hour before rolling it out into your favorite shape.  And finally it takes plenty of patience to master the method and technique of pasta making. The best pasta makers in the world have seen plenty of batches go straight into the garbage. If you have any more questions feel free to post them here or on our Facebook fanpage. Until next time . . .jeremy

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Tasty Bits: May 2009

Welcome to another edition of Tasty Bits. The past month has been filled with exciting happenings around Niche. We’ve been working with some tools to reach out to you and connect you with us here at the restaurant throughout the day rather than once a month through Tasty Bits. Through social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and here on my blog, you have access to information and the personalities of Niche like never before.

Have questions about recipes, wine pairings or upcoming events? Post a question here or send a direct message via Facebook or Twitter and help answer the questions that so many others share. On the blog, click through the “Courses” to find the Latest Dish, Recipes, Tips, Tools of the Trade, Wine Time and Videos. Receive updates about upcoming events and watch the planning and progress happen streaming online. This is your chance to peek behind the doors of the kitchen at Niche and see a side of us you never knew.

As with all that we do here at Niche from food to wine to service, this social networking will continue to constantly evolve and will be fueled by you, our guest and reader. Your regular input will stimulate conversations about food and wine, resulting in a true appreciation for great restaurants.