HUNTING AT THE RANCH

Bait to The Plate - Two Recipes for Wild Boar part 2

If hunting or cooking isn't your thing but you enjoy the eating part you can skip this read and make your reservations at Bonell's Fine Texas Cuisine.

I enjoy both so I will share a recipe from one of my favorite local chefs.  This recipe can be found in Chef Bonell's book Fine Texas Cuisine. Check out his bookstore for this and other delicious recipes from Venison Carpaccio to Margarita Cheesecake.

Rack of Wild Boar with Pomegranate Rum Sauce

Sauce
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon canola oil
4 table spoons fum
8-10 pomegranate seeds
1/2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
1 1/2 tablespoons veal demiglace
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter

Wild Boar
1 frenched wild boar rack
1 tablespoon Bonnell's Southwestern Seasoning (below)

Pomegranate Rum Sauce
In a medium saucepan, saute the shallot and garlic in canola oil for 1 minute. Add the rum and allow to flame off: then add all remaining ingredients, except the butter, and simmer together until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the butter ans swirl until the butter is melted and incorporated into the velvety rich sauce.

For an added degree of flare, add 1 tablespoon of 151 proof rum add the last second to the pomegranate sauce while in the pan. Flame and pour over the chops. Be careful doing this step, as serving flaming dishes can be quite dangerous. Never pour alcohol directly from a bottle into a hot pan. Pour from a glass instead.

Rack of Wild Boar
Rob the rack of wild boar thoroughly on all sides with the seasoning and allow to marinate for one hour. Roast the boar in a 375-degree F convection oven until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 5 minutes before cutting. Slice the boar rack into individual chops and pour the sauce over just before serving.  
Serves 2

Bonnell's Southwestern Seasoning
5 tablespoons iodized salt
2 tablespoon granulated garlic
2 tablespoons fine black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3/4 tablespoon dried thyme
3/4 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon dry mustard powder

Mix in a bowl and store in an airtight container.
This seasoning goes great with steaks as well.

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Bait to The Plate - Two Recipes for Wild Boar part 1

For the first recipe you will be fermenting deer corn to make sour corn. The amount of ingredients varies based on the amount of bait you need and the number of days you plan on hunting. It's not an exact science and you cant mess it up as long as you follow these simple guidelines. If you have fresh signs of wild hogs on your land this concoction will bring them in.

This Wild Boar was taken in West Texas and weighed in at 380lbs after he was field dressed. That's a lot of bacon!

Fermentation is the process of turning sugar (found in grains and fruit) into alcohol. In the most simple explanation is that living yeast eat sugar, breathes oxygen, and excrete alcohol and C02. Think about that next time you have a beer!

You will need:

• A large bucket or cooler
• Deer corn
• Water
• Yeast Packets
• Sugar

Put your container in the place you want to store it. Once you fill it up you aren't going to be able to move it easily.  Choose a place cool and dry that animals will not get into it. The garage is usually a good spot. You don't want the mixture to get extremely cold because the yeast will be less active and fermentation will take longer.

Fill the containers with corn leaving room for it to expand as it absorbs the water. Pour sugar into the container next. Think cups not teaspoons, remember this is what will be converted to alcohol. The amount will vary depending on the size of your container. You really cant mess it up because this isn't for drinking, it's the smell that will attract the hogs. I estimate about 3-4 cups for a 5 gallon bucket.

Next add a few packets of bread yeast. Some hunters also add fruit or jello packets. If this sounds good to you put them in now. Fruit also has sugar in it and natural yeast.

Next cover the ingredients with water. Don't forget the corn will expand and you also want to leave a little room so it doesn't spill over. It will bubble when the yeast become active because they are releasing the C02. It may also be worth mentioning that you do not want to use a sealed container for this reason. Now you can cover it with a towel or lid and let it sit. At this point you don't want to disturb your mix. Just let it sit. It will start to bubble in 24 hours in most cases sometimes a little longer in cooler weather. Your sour corn will be useable in just a few days. A week is a good amount of time for a batch.

When you are selecting a spot to bait. Go somewhere with fresh signs of hogs. They move in and out of areas and can travel miles. You may have seen them a few weeks ago, but they could be in another county this week.

When you find your spot remember wind direction for your blind and also safety. You never know how many may come in and you don't want to meet the business end of Hogzilla! When we bait an area we sling it into the trees to get the smell wafting over the ranch and then dig a hole or place it into a feeding device so that they don't gobble it all too fast. Some hunters will also mix kerosene with the corn to keep raccoons out of the corn. They claim the hogs don't mind and that it deters other pest. I haven't tried this because we've never had a problem with them.

Stay tuned for the next post which will be Chef Bonnell's recipe for rack of wild boar with pomegranate rum sauce!

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