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Bigos
Serves 8 Prep 30 min Cook 3 hr Total 3 hr 30 min Type Meal Origin Polish

Bigos

Polish hunter's stew: sauerkraut and fresh cabbage simmered slow with mixed meats (pork, beef, sausage, sometimes game), dried mushrooms, prunes and red wine. Three days of cooking - properly bigos is reheated and reheated, deepening each day.

Serves 8 Prep 30 minutes Cook 3 hours (active); 2-3 days of reheating Units Rate

Overview

Pork shoulder, beef, smoked sausage and bacon all brown separately, then meet sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, dried porcini, prunes, tomato and red wine in a heavy pot. Simmers for 3 hours minimum; reheats over 2-3 days, getting better each round.

Ingredients

  • 500 g pork shoulder (cubed)
  • 300 g beef chuck (cubed)
  • 200 g smoked Polish sausage (kielbasa; sliced)
  • 200 g smoked bacon lardons
  • 2 onions (chopped)
  • 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 800 g sauerkraut (rinsed and drained)
  • 500 g white cabbage (shredded)
  • 30 g dried porcini mushrooms (soaked in 200 ml hot water for 30 minutes)
  • 200 g prunes (pitted)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato purée
  • 250 ml red wine
  • 500 ml beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • 1 teaspoon allspice berries
  • 6 juniper berries (lightly crushed)
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

Stage 1 - Brown the meats

  1. Heat the oil in a very large heavy pot.
  2. Brown the bacon until the fat renders; lift out.
  3. Brown the pork in batches; lift out.
  4. Brown the beef; lift out.
  5. Lightly brown the kielbasa; lift out.

Stage 2 - Build the base

  1. Cook the onions in the rendered fat for 10 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic; cook 1 minute.
  3. Stir in the tomato purée; cook 1 minute.
  4. Pour in the red wine; reduce by half.

Stage 3 - Combine

  1. Return all the meats.
  2. Add the sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, soaked mushrooms (with their soaking liquid; strained), prunes, stock, bay, caraway, allspice, juniper, paprika and brown sugar.
  3. Stir to combine.

Stage 4 - Simmer

  1. Bring to a simmer; cover loosely.
  2. Cook on low heat for 3 hours, stirring occasionally, adding more stock if it dries out too much.
  3. Taste; season with salt and pepper. The sauerkraut already brings salt, so check before adding.

Stage 5 - Rest and reheat

  1. Cool overnight in the fridge.
  2. Reheat the next day for 30 minutes; the flavour deepens.
  3. On day three (and four), reheat again for another 20 minutes each time.
  4. Bigos really does improve over multiple reheats; patience is the recipe.

Stage 6 - Serve

  1. Ladle into deep bowls.
  2. Serve with rye bread and sharp mustard; mashed potato is also traditional.

Notes

  • Multiple meats matter: Single-meat bigos is bland. The complexity comes from pork, beef, smoked sausage and bacon all contributing different notes.
  • Reheat for days: Once cooked, bigos isn't done - it improves over 2-3 days of reheats. Plan accordingly.
  • Don't drain the sauerkraut too well: Some of its briny liquid is part of the dish. Squeeze, don't rinse, unless yours is very salty.

Storage

  • Improves over 3-4 days. Keeps a full week refrigerated.
  • Freezes 3 months.

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