Wild Boar Ragu on a dark and stormy night...

Since we have nothing but time on our hands while we wait out the tail end of Hurricane Sandy, we're all on a cooking spree. John's home from work, Mummy's here, and I'm here, so there is no shortage of hands to hold, bounce, rock, feed, and burp Julian; and meanwhile, that leaves the other two sets of hands free for more exciting culinary endeavors!

John and I are currently marinating the beginnings of a Wild Boar Ragu in the refrigerator, and have high hopes for tonight's dinner. The recipe is included below-- so if you've got a grocery store open around you on this stormy afternoon-- you too can enjoy Wild Boar Ragu...

*Note Prep-Time: 3-1/2 hours plus overnight marinating

1 pound wild boar shoulder or leg, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces

1 sprig rosemary, torn in half

1 tablespoon mixed whole black, pink and white peppercorns

4 cloves garlic, peeled

2 cups Chianti or other red wine, or as needed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1 small celery stalk, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup canned tomatoes with liquid

2 cups vegetable stock or water

Tagliatelle, or other pasta, for serving.

1. The night before making the ragù, place the meat in a bowl with the rosemary, peppercorns, garlic and enough wine to cover. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Discard the rosemary and garlic. Drain the meat in a strainer set over a bowl, reserving the wine. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering, and add the carrot, celery and onion. Sauté until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add the meat and cook, stirring frequently, until all the liquid released by the meat has evaporated and the meat is browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the reserved wine and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is dry, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon. Add 1 cup water, reduce heat to very low, and cook, partly covered, at a low simmer for 1 hour.

4. Add vegetable stock and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meat begins to break apart, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove from heat and, using a whisk or spoon, break the meat into very fine shreds. Serve, if desired, over tagliatelle or other pasta.

*Note Serving Size Too: 4 first-course servings.

We'll report back with any revisions to this recipe once we've made it through the final steps and tasted it! Pretty sure it's going to be great!