Cinghiale Hunting.

First Day's Hunting For Cinghiale.
Morning Gathering Of the Local Hunter's
The Results Of A Successful Days Hunting.
Cinghiale Ribs In Sauce With Pasta.


On A very damp and cold morning I was collected by my friend "Domenico" for the first day's hunting for Cinghiale. This has been a tradition in Italy for a very long time and deeply in bedded in countryside life. There are many misconception's about hunting the famous "Cinghiale," but many of them are purely false.
After being collected all loaded up with equipment and "colazione" mainly local bread, salumi and cheeses for breakfast we head off for the early morning tracking. This entails tramping about for 3 hours looking for fresh tracks of the Cinghiale or Wild Boar. There are another further ten to twenty pairs of hunters doing the same. We communicate by radio and once a good few fresh tracks all the hunters meet for the breakfast "colazione" at alittle "Fontana".
There are usually between 30 to 50 hunters many of them like me collect Wild foods on a daily basis. This day's hunt with more than 15 hunter's is called a "Battuta." and the typical type of hunting for Cinghiale in Italy.
Once we have all gathered at the local Fontana we all bring a mixture of local bread's "panino" salumi's and cheeses "formaggio"to share. Whilst there everyone completes the necessary paperwork. It's a good time to talk to many of them and share stories of their previous hunting successes and often failures. I mainly use this time to ask questions and gather information on other wild foods and where they can be gathered as many of them are truffle and mushrooms hunter's as well.
After we are all stuffed full with the local cheeses and meat's and the decision has been made of where the day's hunt is to take place off we go. Safety is always first and we don our bright orange jacket's. I find it quite a strange sight of about 50 hunters all wearing bright orange jacket's heading off in a convoy of 4x4 vehicle's.
I am paired with Domenico who is also the Squad's "Pista" he's the one charge of cleaning and butchering the day's catch. He's also extremely excited and keeps telling how today's going to be a good day.
Once we arrive about mid day we are divided into larger groups and head out into the woodlands. It's very damp and there mist in the air. the hunters form a large horse shoe shape spread over a couple of kilometre's. Once we are all in place and everyone in given their fields of fire the dog's are released and the hunt begins.
For the next 3 to 4 hour's all I hear is the long howl's of dog's on the scent of the Cinghiale and then the occasion shot from one of our group. I neither see or fire a shot, but that's not the point as all the day's catch will be divided equally amongst the hunter's. That to me is the communal part of hunting in Italy and far better than buying my meat.
By early evening I am damp, wet and tired we all meet at a nearby farmer's house. The has been good the squad has caught 5 Cinghiale all of a good size between 50 and 130 kilo's. The ""pista's" then set about dividing the Cinghiale whilst the rest of us open a couple of bottle's of red wine and share the day's stories.
I talk to a middle age chap named "Paolo" he show's me proudly 3 very large white truffle's he collected today. I must admit I am every envious of him and seek to learn where they were found, but to no avail. They are probably worth about 500 euros, but he has intention of selling them and will use them to cook with.
Once the meat has been divided and the wine has been finished we all head for home. Domenico drives me home and to be honest I am looking forward to cooking the day's catch. We share idea's of what will will cook his wife will roast the Cinghiale over an open fire slowly. I decided to cook the ribs in sauce or in Italian "Costole Di Cinghiale In Ragu Con Pasta Penne" quite a mouthful. Anyway here's the recipe.

Take 8 to 12 Cinghiale ribs and brown in a large saucepan for about 10 minute's.
Whilst the rib's are browning add 2 white onion's, half a fresh wild fennel, 6 cloves of garlic, sage, rosemary, oregano and place into a processor. Then blitz's into a pulp.
Add to the browned rib's and cook for 5 to 10 minute's.
Then add 2 kilo's of tinned skinned tomato's, 2 glasses of red wine and 2 bay's leaves.
Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar or I like to use wild honey.
Cook on a slow to medium heat for 2 to 3 hour's and serve with the pasta penne.