Now this is what you might have eaten instead of that insipid 'turkey'....!

We went to Chiang Mai to get a Visa..quite a palaver..had to open new Bank Accounts, visit the Doctor: “Do you have any serious diseases? No, only life. No, no. Must not joke with Thais in these situations. .no sense of humour! No I do not have, nor ever had, TB, Yellow Fever, Aids…Certificate acquired at cost of 1Euro,. Visa pricey at £27,50..but means I can stay here forever..is that what I want? ..I think not.
On the way home we went to market. Bought Strawberry Wine ..disgusting..not like last year..Pork Intestine sausage, hundreds of sweet things and Chiang Mai sausage…but also a small ‘Wild’ Chicken..of which more later and a loin of Sanglier….

So here you have

Cotes de Sanglier au Vapeur

Depending on number of people:
This for two or three people

Loin of Wild Boar:Sanglier..about 1kg..preferably with ribs and kidney, but not crucial
Glass of Marc/Brandy…
Herbs..In Europe I would use Black Pepper, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano. Here I put Black Pepper, 1 Lime leaf, Small piece of Lemongrass, Squeeze of Lime Juice.
Foil

1 Onion
10 Cloves Garlic
6 Tomatoes
(In Europe a teaspoon of Juniper Berries, crushed)
25ml Red Wine
Salt
Black Pepper
Quarter Pint strong Stock
2 Coffee Cups Olive Oil

Wrap the Loin of Sanglier in Foil, together with the Black Pepper, Herbs, and Marc. Make sure the parcel is watertight.

Place parcel in a steamer, with a lid, over sufficient boiling water to last for 2 hours.

Steam for two hours, checking water level from time to time.

While the Sanglier is steaming
Peel and chop the Onion, Peel the garlic and crush the cloves and discard the skin…
Put the Tomatoes in a bowl and add boiling water to cover. Heat one of the cups of the oil and add the Onion, Garlic and Juniper Berries. Cook until colouring.
Peel the Tomatoes. Chop and add to the Onion and Garlic.
Cook for 5 minutes or so. Add the red wine, salt, pepper and stock.
Cook, very slowly, until the sauce is reduced and very dark and glutinous. Remove from heat.

Remove Sanglier from the steamer. Unwrap the parcel. Add any juices to the sauce. Heat the sauce further to amalgamate the added juices.

Remove, with a sharp knife, in one piece, the rind from the loin of Sanglier..
Heat the second cup of oil. Fry the rind of the Sanglier, turning from time to time, until it is crispy, but not burnt!

Serve with Kwangtung Greens, Pommes Parmentier( a favourite of ours-better than frites), or whatever!!

Again..the point of the dish is that you have a contrast of moist but meltingly crumbly boar, with crispy crackling, and resolute sauce with real depth..this will offset any tendency to dryness in the boar