Name: Sremački čobanac
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h 15 min
Yield: 8 generous servings
Cuisine: Serbian
Ingredients: 800 g wild boar leg, trimmed and cut into 3 cm cubes; 600 g beef round, trimmed and cut into 3 cm cubes; 600 g pork loin, trimmed and cut into 3 cm cubes; 450 g yellow onion, very finely chopped; 40 ml sunflower oil; 25 g sweet paprika; 3 g hot paprika; 70 g tomato paste; 8 g garlic, finely chopped; 12 g fine salt; 3 g ground black pepper; 2 bay leaves; 1800 ml water, hot, added in stages

Yield 8 generous servings

Preparation time 35 minutes

Cooking time 210 minutes

Passive time 10 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Sremački čobanac — wild boar, beef and pork stew with paprika

Sremački čobanac belongs to the Srem form of the wider čobanac family, where the stew is distinguished by three meats and one of them is game. Here those three meats are wild boar leg, beef round and pork loin, cut into similar cubes but kept separate before cooking. Onion, sweet paprika, a little hot paprika and tomato paste form the red-brown sauce around them.

The onion base needs a full 30 minutes over moderate heat until it becomes soft and jammy rather than merely translucent. That reduction supplies body without flour. Paprika and tomato paste are then moistened immediately, protecting the ground spice from scorching while the wild boar begins its longer head start.

The meats do not enter together. Wild boar cooks first for two 30-minute stages. Beef follows for 40 minutes before the pork is added. The lean pork loin goes in last, after the tougher game and beef have already had substantial time to soften. This order follows the logic of the staged three-meat method while avoiding unnecessary exposure of the pork to the entire simmer.

Once all three meats are in the pot, the remaining water and seasonings create the final braising liquid. A 30-minute combined simmer builds the sauce, followed by another 30 minutes in which tenderness and internal temperatures are checked. The liquid should bubble gently rather than boil hard, and the finished sauce should be moderately thick rather than dry or pasty.

Tenderness and safety remain separate checks. Wild boar must reach at least 71.1 °C in the centre because wild game can carry *Trichinella*. Representative whole-cut beef and pork pieces must reach at least 62.8 °C in the centre and then rest for at least 3 minutes. The pot can continue simmering until all three meats are fork-tender; reaching a safety minimum does not by itself define the finished texture.

After the heat is switched off, a 10-minute rest lets the sauce settle around the meat. For advance preparation, divide the stew into shallow containers, refrigerate at 4 °C or below within 2 hours and use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days. Reheat the portion needed to 74 °C throughout. The finished bowl should hold tender pieces of all three meats in a cohesive paprika-onion sauce.

Practical

ControlCook the onion base for the full 30 minutes until jammy before adding meat.
ControlGive the wild boar its head start, then add beef and finally pork rather than combining the three meats at once.
ControlMoisten the paprika immediately so it cannot scorch.
ControlCheck tenderness and the correct thermometer endpoint for each meat before serving.

Ingredients

800 g wild boar leg, trimmed and cut into 3 cm cubes
600 g beef round, trimmed and cut into 3 cm cubes
600 g pork loin, trimmed and cut into 3 cm cubes
450 g yellow onion, very finely chopped
40 ml sunflower oil
25 g sweet paprika
3 g hot paprika
70 g tomato paste
8 g garlic, finely chopped
12 g fine salt
3 g ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1800 ml water, hot, added in stages

Directions

Cut and separate the meatsTrim each meat batch and cut it into even 3 cm cubes, keeping the three batches in separate trays or bowls while preparing the pot. The three meat batches should be close enough in cube size to cook predictably without tiny pieces drying out.
Prepare the onion and seasoningsFinely chop the onion and garlic and measure the paprika, tomato paste, salt, pepper and bay leaves before cooking begins. The onion should be finely chopped so it can dissolve into the body of the stew during the long simmer.
Cook the onion base for 30 minutesHeat the oil in a heavy pot and cook the onion slowly for 30 minutes until very soft and reduced, without scorching. The onion is ready when deeply softened and reduced to a jammy mass with no raw crunch.
Start the wild boar for 30 minutesStir in the sweet and hot paprika, tomato paste and garlic with 300 ml of the hot water, then add the wild boar and keep the pot at a controlled simmer for 30 minutes. The paprika should be evenly dispersed without scorching, and the wild-boar surfaces should lose their raw colour as the pot returns to a simmer.
Give the wild boar another 30 minutesAdd 400 ml of the hot water and continue the gentle simmer for 30 minutes before any other meat enters the pot. After 30 minutes, most of the added liquid should have reduced and the wild boar should be firm but beginning to soften.
Add the beef for 20 minutesAdd the beef round and simmer gently for 20 minutes while it releases its own juices. After 20 minutes, the beef should have released moisture and the pot should return to a steady simmer without the pork yet in the pot.
Simmer the beef for another 20 minutesAdd another 400 ml of the hot water and continue simmering the wild boar and beef together for 20 minutes before adding the pork. After the added water has simmered for 20 minutes, the liquid should have reduced enough that the beef remains surrounded by sauce rather than floating in broth.
Add the pork for 20 minutesAdd the pork loin and simmer gently for 20 minutes so it cooks in the developed paprika-onion base without receiving the full wild-boar cooking time. After 20 minutes, the pork should have lost its raw colour and begun to firm while remaining noticeably less cooked than the wild boar.
Simmer all three meats for 30 minutesAdd the remaining 700 ml hot water with the salt, pepper and bay leaves, partly cover the pot and keep all three meats at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. The sauce should simmer gently for 30 minutes, becoming red-brown and moderately thick while the three meats continue to tenderise.
Finish for 30 minutes and check the meatsContinue simmering for 30 minutes until all three meats are fork-tender; check representative thick pieces with a food thermometer before service. Wild boar must reach at least 71.1 °C in the centre. Representative whole-cut beef and pork pieces must reach at least 62.8 °C in the centre and then rest for at least 3 minutes. All three meats should be fork-tender without shredding to dryness.
Rest the stewTake the pot off the heat and rest for 10 minutes before portioning. After resting, the surface fat should settle and the sauce should cling lightly to a spoon while remaining stew-like rather than paste-thick.

Practical

Serving, storage and planning

Serve the stew hot in deep bowls, with enough sauce to surround all three meats. For advance preparation, cool it in shallow containers and refrigerate at 4 °C or below within 2 hours. Refrigerated leftovers keep 3–4 days; reheat the portion needed to 74 °C throughout or freeze for longer storage.

Nutrition

Serving size1 bowl
Calories480 kcal
Carbohydrates9 g
Protein54 g
Fat24 g
Fibre3 g
Sodium740 mg

These figures are approximate and can vary with trimming, ingredient brands and exact portioning.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens. No major allergen is present in the listed ingredients; verify packaged paprika and tomato paste if managing allergies.

Food safety. Keep raw wild boar, beef and pork separate from ready-to-eat foods during preparation. Cook wild boar to at least 71.1 °C in the centre. For the whole-cut beef and pork pieces, verify at least 62.8 °C in the centre followed by a 3-minute rest; continue simmering further as needed for tenderness. Cool in shallow containers and refrigerate at 4 °C or below within 2 hours. Reheat leftovers to 74 °C throughout.

Result: Tender wild boar, beef and pork in a moderately thick onion-and-paprika stew.

Key: Staging wild boar first, beef next and pork last gives each cut the right share of the long simmer before the final thermometer check.