If your meat is from a reputable supplier who buys from licensed farmers, you probably won’t have to worry about it.

It’s now so rare that even the ultra-conservative United States Department of Agriculture has lowered its recommended pork cooking temperature from 71 degrees Celsius to 62 degrees, which leaves the meat just slightly pink.

Most cases of trichinosis can be traced back to pigs that haven’t been raised in clean conditions, and to wild game, primarily boars and omnivores (or carnivores) that might get the parasite from consuming other animals. Freezing larger cuts of meat doesn’t necessarily kill the trichinella larvae, so if you want to make sure the wild boar you’re intending to eat doesn’t make you ill, the only safe solution is to cook it until it’s well done.

Overcooking can be a problem with wild boar because it is a lean meat: it moves around so much in its search for food that the flesh isn’t well-marbled with fat and the layer of exterior fat is relatively thin.

For this reason, wild boar is often minced, mixed with fat (from domestic pigs) and spices, then made into sausages. Minced wild boar also makes a delicious ragu because the sauce serves to moisten the meat. The minced meat can also be mixed with boar liver and made into a rich pâté.

However, with careful cooking, larger cuts of wild boar don’t have to be dry.

Salt wild boar loin (a cut that tends to be lean even with domestic pigs) a day or two before cooking, so the seasoning can permeate into the flesh. Poke a sharp, thinbladed long knife through the centre of the loin down its entire length, then enlarge the incision by inserting a sharpening steel.

Into the “hole” you’ve created, stuff a flavourful, fatty mixture of seared cubes of foie gras, small bits of fried pancetta and sautéed garlic, all mixed with chopped parsley, olive oil, breadcrumbs and some salt and pepper.

Wrap the entire loin with thin slices of lardo and use toothpicks to secure them.

Sear the meat then cook it until it reaches an internal temperature of 71 degrees.

Fattier, tougher cuts, such as the leg and the ribs, are easier because they need a longer cooking time anyway, to make them tender. If you’re braising the leg meat, insert strips of pork fat or raw pancetta into the flesh (here’s where a larding needle would come in handy, if you can find one) so the meat is basted internally as it cooks.

With ribs, cook them with the marinade in a tightly sealed pan, so they don’t dry out. When tender, brush them with a sticky, flavourful glaze and grill or barbecue them.

Truc (tryk): noun, masculine, trick, gimmick, device. A French word for a chef's secret.