Wild Pig Cabbage Rolls with Ginger and Scallion
This wild game iteration of stuffed cabbage is inspired from Asian cuisine and takes the flavor of these often nuisance pigs to new heights .
I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love the taste of wild pig. And if you don’t, then either you’ve never tried it, or somebody put a bug in your head about it being “gamey” or “trash meat.”
I’d love to change your mind about that; wild pig is a leaner, porkier pork flavor that gives much more depth and flavor to the dishes. So imagine pork but deeper and better. You’re a bit limited in your cooking compared to a store-bought pig; that is, you won’t have a massive fat layer because these pigs aren’t sedentary. They are constantly on the move, foraging, rooting and mating.
It is estimated that over 6 million wild pigs are spread across 35 states in the United States of America, with states like Texas, Georgia and Florida carrying the top three of those numbers. This means there is plenty to go around, and I guarantee you won’t find a farmer who has a problem with you knocking on their front door asking to help minimize these crop killers on the landscape.
I’ve cooked wild pig in many different ways, including in Mexican, American and South American dishes, but for this recipe I utilize wild pig for one of my favorite cuisines, Asian.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground wild pig
- 1 head of cabbage
- 1/3 cup uncooked white rice
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup of finely chopped scallion
- 1/3 cup of finely chopped cilantro
- 1 1/2 TBSP minced fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 TBSP minced garlic
- 1 1/2 TBSP soy sauce
- 1/2 TSP sesame oil
- 2 cups chicken or veggie broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt.
- Remove about 10 outer leaves of the cabbage, saving the rest for another dish. Add the cabbage leaves, about 3 or 4 at a time, to the water once boiling. Cook until tender but still crunchy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and let it cook. Finish the rest of the cabbage leaves.
- In a large bowl, combine the wild pig, rice, egg, scallions, cilantro, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon a 1/4 cup of the pig mixture into the center of the cabbage roll, about 2 to 3 inches long. Pull the stem end over the meat, fold the left and right sides over, and roll tightly like a burrito. Place the cabbage rolls seam-side down in a Dutch oven. Repeat with the remaining cabbage and filling.
- Pour the broth over the cabbage rolls and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, transfer to an oven, and bake until the cabbage rolls are tender and the meat is cooked. You’ll want to ensure your pig comes to a safe temperature of at least 145 degrees to kill off any trichinella parasites that may be present. Cook for about 40-45 minutes.
- Serve with ladles of broth over the cabbage rolls.
