Suckling Pig with Pork Ravioli & Sautéed Pointed Cabbage

Saddle of Suckling Pig:

1. Using a sharp knife, make deep incisions into the rind before seasoning the meat all over with salt and pepper.
2. Sprinkle some caraway seeds on the meat side, rub in the crushed garlic, sprinkle with olive oil, and add the rosemary, thyme and bay leaf.
3. Now carefully put the seasoned saddle of suckling pig into a vacuum pouch, vacuumise the pouch at the highest setting, and cook the meat in a bain-marie for 3.5-4 hours at a temperature not exceeding 75 °C / 167 °F.
4. If you don´t have a vacuum machine at home, ask your butcher to put the meat and other ingredients into a vacuumised pouch.
5. After cooking, remove the meat from the vacuum pouch, dab dry, and either grill or fry (in a large frying pan) the rind side until the crackling becomes crispy.
6. Put aside in a warm place ready for serving.

Pork Ravioli:

1. Put the pork knuckles in a saucepan, add enough water to cover them, and simmer with the peppercorns, bay leaves, caraway seeds and salt for about 1 hour.
2. In a sautéing pan, fry the diced root vegetables and onion in sunflower oil until they begin to brown.
3. Remove the pork from its cooking water, dab dry, add to the fried vegetables, and continue frying for a while.
4. Deglaze with white wine, before transferring to the oven and roasting for about 40 minutes at 200°C/ 392 °F
5. Remove the knuckles from the roasting tray, and use a small knife to cut off the jelly-like skin, which should then be chopped finely.
6. Remove the meat from the bone, and cut into small pieces.
7. Put half of the cooked vegetable mixture into a bowl, and mash with a fork until smooth. Mix together the meat, pork skin and mashed vegetables, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. To make a sauce, brown the rest of the cooked vegetables and knuckle bones in a hot pan before pouring in 2 liters (8 ½ cups) of water and simmering for 20 minutes.
9. Pass the resulting stock through a fine sieve, and then reduce it until only about ¼ is left.
10. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper before binding with the cold butter.
11. Using a pasta machine, roll out the noodle dough as thinly as possible.
12. Brush half of the rolled-out dough with a little water, place small blobs of the pork filling over this half of the sheet, and then cover with the other half of the sheet of dough.
13. Press down firmly, and cut out individual ravioli that should be cooked in boiling salted water for about 2 minutes and then tossed briefly in butter in a frying pan.

Pointed Cabbage:

1. If you can`t obtain pointed cabbage, normal white cabbage could also be used, although its flavour and texture are not quite as good.
2. Separate the cabbage into individual leaves, remove the hard stems, and cut the leaves into small squares (about 3×3 cm/ about 1 x 1 inch).
3. Heat half of the butter in a large frying pan, add the cabbage squares, and fry a little until the leaves soften slightly.
4. Pour in about 60 ml ( ¼ cup) water before adding the remaining butter and continuing to cook until the mixture has a creamy consistency.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To Serve:

1. Arrange the cabbage squares on each plate, cut the wild boar into equally sized portions, and put the meat on top of the cabbage.
2. Place the ravioli and sauce next to the meat and cabbage.