flipHoney-and-juniper roasted boar
Honey-and-juniper roasted boar
Why this dish? At Valhöll, the gods and einherjar feast each evening on the boar Sæhrímnir, which is reborn at dawn. Baldr, son of Odin, shared in these Asgardian banquets. This honey-glazed roast evokes the sacred boar meat and divine mead united in one festive dish.
A joint of boar (or pork shoulder) long-roasted, basted with a glaze of honey, beer, and crushed juniper berries. The meat is tender, the crust amber and fragrant with Nordic forest.
Let the trestles be set up and the great fire burn! Tonight we eat the boar as it is eaten at my father Odin's table, where the beast is reborn at dawn to be served again. Rub the meat with juniper gathered under snow, coat it with honey and beer, and turn it on the spit until it gleams like gold. Drink, laugh loudly, for no one knows when the mistletoe will come.
- •Boar shoulder — a fine joint (meat)
- •Wild honey — by the ladle (glaze)
- •Barley beer — a bowl (basting)
- •Juniper berries — a full handful (aromatic)
- •Sea salt — as needed (seasoning)
Honey-and-juniper roasted boar
A joint of boar (or pork shoulder) long-roasted, basted with a glaze of honey, beer, and crushed juniper berries. The meat is tender, the crust amber and fragrant with Nordic forest.
Why this dish? At Valhöll, the gods and einherjar feast each evening on the boar Sæhrímnir, which is reborn at dawn. Baldr, son of Odin, shared in these Asgardian banquets. This honey-glazed roast evokes the sacred boar meat and divine mead united in one festive dish.
Let the trestles be set up and the great fire burn! Tonight we eat the boar as it is eaten at my father Odin's table, where the beast is reborn at dawn to be served again. Rub the meat with juniper gathered under snow, coat it with honey and beer, and turn it on the spit until it gleams like gold. Drink, laugh loudly, for no one knows when the mistletoe will come.
Ingredients (period version)
- Boar shoulder — a fine joint (meat)
- Wild honey — by the ladle (glaze)
- Barley beer — a bowl (basting)
- Juniper berries — a full handful (aromatic)
- Sea salt — as needed (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Pork or boar shoulder — 1.5 kg (meat)
- Honey — 4 tbsp (glaze)
- Dark beer — 200 ml (basting)
- Crushed juniper berries — 1 tbsp (aromatic)
- Fresh thyme — a few sprigs (aromatic)
- Salt and black pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150 °C.
- Rub the meat with salt, pepper, and crushed juniper berries.
- Place in a dish, pour the beer into the bottom, and cover with parchment paper then foil.
- Roast gently for 3 hours, basting with the juices every 45 minutes.
- Mix the honey with two spoonfuls of cooking juices.
- Uncover, brush with the honey glaze, and increase the oven to 200 °C for 25–30 minutes, glazing twice, until an amber crust forms.
- Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving with the juices.
How it was made : Excavations of elite halls (such as at Uppsala, a major Swedish cult center) show high consumption of pork and boar at feasts and sacrifices (blót). Animals were roasted whole or in joints on spits over the hearth; honey and beer, prestigious products, were used to baste and glaze festive meats.
The contemporary twist : Present the joint on a bed of thyme and juniper branches, with a small pot of warm mead alongside for 'dipping' in Valhöll fashion.
Baldr · Charactorium
