Wild Boar Chili Colorado Tacos
(courtesy of Willy Carroll, head chef, PJ’s at Gray’s Crossing in Truckee. Makes 18 to 24 tacos)
1- to 3-pound wild boar shoulder, cut into 1½-inch chunks
15 dried guajillo peppers, seeds removed
2 chile de arbol dried peppers, seeds removed
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1½ teaspoons chopped oregano
Salt, to taste
Corn tortillas, limes, cilantro, diced onions, and Mexican crema for building your tacos
Place cut boar and chopped onion in pot, cover with water, and bring to simmer. Simmer boar on low heat until tender, 6 to 7 hours. Strain meat out of liquid and return liquid to pot. Let meat cool a bit, then discard onions from it and coarsely shred meat.
Place dried peppers, garlic, oregano, and cumin in cooking liquid and return to boil, then simmer on low until peppers are softened, about 20 to 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove all peppers from liquid and place in a blender. Add as much liquid as you need, maybe all of it, to purée the peppers into a smooth sauce. Let blender run several minutes. At this point, season sauce with salt, to desired taste. Pass sauce through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any remaining chili flakes, leaving a smooth sauce.
Mix sauce and meat together; reheat if needed on stove, taking care not to dry it out. Now you are ready to make tacos!
Note: In Reno, wild boar is available at Sierra Meat & Seafood (Sierrameat.com).
