Bigos (Hunter's Stew)

This bigos recipe is a traditional Polish stew that combines pork, smoked bacon, kielbasa sausage, and sauerkraut. Perfect for a comforting meal on a cold day!

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr
• Total Time: 3 hr 45 mins
• Calories: 356 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 5 cups beef stock
• 1 pound kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 (16 ounce) jar sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
• 4 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1 pound cubed pork stew meat
• 2 thick slices hickory-smoked bacon
• 1 dash bottled hot pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoons canned tomato paste
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
• 0.125 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 0.25 cup dry red wine
• 1.5 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 0.125 teaspoon caraway seed, crushed
• 0.5 ounce dried mushrooms

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add kielbasa and bacon; cook and stir until bacon has rendered its fat and sausage is lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat and transfer to a large casserole or Dutch oven.

Step 3

Coat cubes of pork lightly with flour and fry them in the bacon drippings over medium-high heat until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pork to the casserole. Add cabbage, carrots, onion, fresh mushrooms, and garlic. Add in sauerkraut. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Do not let the vegetables brown.

Step 4

Deglaze the pan by pouring in red wine and stirring to loosen all of the bits of food and flour that are stuck to the bottom. Season with bay leaf, paprika, basil, marjoram, salt, pepper, caraway seed, and cayenne; cook for 1 minute.

Step 5

Mix in beef stock, tomatoes, dried mushrooms, tomato paste, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Heat through just until boiling. Pour vegetables and all of the liquid into the casserole dish with meat. Cover with a lid.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven until meat is very tender, 2½ to 3 hours.