Boar Meatballs in Whiskey-Almond Sauce

Ingredients

Meatballs
  • 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 small sweet onion or ½ large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
  • Pinch grated nutmeg
  • Pinch cinnamon
  • Pinch ground sage
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. white pepper
  • 1 lb. ground wild boar
  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 egg, whisked
Whiskey-Almond Sauce
  • 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • ½ cup blanched almonds, preferably sliced (but slivered works)
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 slice torn bread
  • ½ cup whiskey (such as WhistlePig rye or Garrison Brothers Balmorhea bourbon)
  • 2 cups rich vegetable or chicken stock (plus more to loosen the sauce as needed)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Info

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Directions

For the meatballs

  1. Heat butter and oil in a pan on medium heat. Sauté onion for a couple of minutes to soften, then add garlic, parsley, nutmeg, cinnamon, sage, salt, and white pepper. Continue to stir over medium heat until onion and garlic are soft and translucent. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
  2. In a bowl, mix the ground boar, panko, and egg until completely incorporated. When onion mixture is cool, combine with boar mixture. Let rest in refrigerator for at least an hour (up to 24 hours) covered with plastic wrap.
  3. Shape and roll meat into 2½-inch balls and place on a sheet pan.

For whiskey-almond sauce:

  1. Heat butter and oil in a pan on medium heat until butter is melted. Add almonds, garlic, and torn bread, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper and continue to heat through, taking care not to let ingredients burn.
  2. Once sauce is hot, add whiskey. Let the mixture come to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool slightly. Blend on high in blender until smooth and add the stock in a stream to loosen the sauce to a creamy consistency. Season to taste.

To cook and serve:

  1. Heat 3 tbsp. oil and/or butter in a pan. Cook shaped meatballs over medium heat until browned all around and cooked through. Pour sauce in the pan and heat up to a simmer.
  2. Serve in a lipped dish with fried sage and toasted almond slivers as garnish as well as rustic bread to sop up the sauce. Serve with a whiskey, neat.
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