Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)

This bigos (Polish hunter's stew) recipe is for a well-loved Polish flavorful stew with sauerkraut, meat, bacon, mushrooms, caraway seeds, and red wine.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 657 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 5 whole allspice berries
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 15 pitted prunes
• 9 cups boiling water, divided
• 3 pounds sauerkraut - rinsed, drained and chopped
• 1 cup dried mushrooms
• 1 Polish sausage, sliced
• 0.75 cup red wine
• 0.5 pound beef stew meat, cubed
• 0.5 pound boneless pork shoulder, cubed
• 0.5 cup bacon strips, diced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place sauerkraut in a large pot; pour in 4 cups boiling water. Add prunes, allspice berries, and bay leaves; simmer until sauerkraut is soft, about 50 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, pour about 1 cup boiling water over mushrooms in a bowl; soak to rehydrate, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid; chop mushrooms.

Step 3

Meanwhile, bring remaining 4 cups water to a boil in saucepan. Add beef, pork, and bacon; simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes, then drain.

Step 4

Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium to high heat. Add onions and sausage; cook and stir until onions are soft and sausage is browned, about 5 minutes.

Step 5

When sauerkraut is soft, add mushrooms, meat mixture, and sausage mixture; stir well. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat, about 20 minutes.

Step 6

Pour in red wine; cook until flavors are well blended, about 15 minutes. Season with caraway seeds, marjoram, salt, and black pepper; stir in tomato paste. If stew seems too dry, add some reserved mushroom liquid, and simmer until flavors combined, about 5 minutes.