Ecuadorean Haunch of Wild Boar Recipe
A whole, skinless wild boar hindquarter is roasted until it's flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Roasted pig aka Hornado de chancho with Yukon gold potatoes. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo)
April 02, 2024
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Hornado de chancho is an iconic dish in Ecuador, typically served during special occasions like the holidays. A whole pig is marinated for three days or so in garlic, beer and other spices, and then it’s roasted under low heat for hours with even more beer and spices. The meat becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender. This is an adaptation of that dish, prepared with a whole, skinless haunch of wild boar. Along with the potatoes, hornado de chancho is often served with a red onion and tomato salad/salsa and hominy. The meat is also tasty in tacos.
Serves: 10 Prep Time: 9 hours Cook Time: 6 hours
Ingredients:
10-pound bone-in wild pork hindquarter Juice of 2 limes 20 cloves garlic, grated 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin 1/2 cup kosher salt 1/4 cup lard 8 cups light beer for marinating, plus 6 cups beer for baking 2 tablespoons of achiote powder (ground annatto seeds) Ground black pepper, to taste 8 Yukon gold potatoes Directions:
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To make the brine, combine 1/2 cup of kosher salt, 8 cups of beer, grated garlic and lime juice in a large container. Lower the leg into the brine and marinate refrigerated for 8 hours. The longer you brine, the saltier the meat will taste. Flip the leg occasionally. Preheat oven to 400 °F. Discard brine and pat the leg dry with paper towels. Rub lard all over the pork and evenly sprinkle with cumin, achiote powder and black pepper. Place leg in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, or until you get nice color, but not burnt. Remove roasting pan from the oven, and lower heat to 325 degrees. Pour 6 cups of new beer into the pan. Tightly cover the pan with foil and return to the oven. Braise meat for about 4-5 hours. About one hour before the pork reaches desired tenderness, cut potatoes into halves or thirds. Generously season potatoes with salt and add them to the roasting pan. Cook covered until potatoes and meat are tender, about one hour. Shred or slice meat. Season to taste.
