Wild Boar Meatballs (makes 9 balls)

wild boar meatballs

These wild boar meatballs are as wild as they come!  During a recent visit to Maui my secret hunter (also named T and I can assured you it is not me) gave me some meat. T loves to eat off the land.  He fishes all sorts of ocean fish and hunts wild boar and deer.  He gave me some ground wild boar meat which I was excited to receive.  I have had boar meat but only store bought so this was extra special! Thank you T!!  I have access to a kaffir lime tree and a bush of lemongrass so I decided to make these meatballs using these ingredients.  If you do not have kaffir lime leaves you can use grated lime rind. Substitute wild boar meat for another meat such as pork, venison, lamb or another meaty animal if you wish.  If you do not eat red meat then use white meat such as chicken or turkey.

Wild Boar Meatballs (makes 9 balls)

Ingredients:

About 2 lbs ground wild boar meat
8 kaffir lime leaves, julienned
2 large garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
2 Tbsp minced lemongrass
2 Tbsp minced onion or shallot
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp raw sugar
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
A large pinch of salt (according to your taste)
Fresh ground black or white pepper (according to your taste)

Method:

1) Mix all (except the meat) of the dry and wet ingredients together in a small container until well blended.
2) Add the mixture to the meat and gently mix everything together until well blended.  Avoid over mixing since this will make the meatballs dense and hard.
3) Form about 2-inch balls and use right away or wrap well and refrigerate up to 2 days.

*For breakfast I used a few balls and cooked them about 7-8 minutes total over a skillet.  I flattened the balls so they became patties.  After cooking I added these balls, now patties on toasted bagels. Cooking these on a skillet keeps the juice in and keeps them moist.

pan frying the wild boar patties

wild boar with horseradish cheese bagel

For a late lunch I decided to charcoal grill the rest of the meatballs.  I wrapped each ball onto approximately a 6-inch sugarcane stick.  I brushed the meat with a little sesame oil and grilled them until golden brown.  Grilling time will depend on how hot your grill is and also if you are using charcoal or electric.  It can be a bit challenging to use charcoal grill when you have the trade winds blowing your way!

cut the sticks to the length you want and
peel the outer tough skin of the sugarcane

wrap each meatball onto a sugarcane stick,
oil the outer layer to help
prevent the meat from sticking on your grill

grilled wild boar meat on sugarcane sticks
served with fresh salad or anything you prefer