Polish Hunter’s Stew Recipe (Bigos)

Bigos or Polish Hunter's Stew is a rich sauerkraut dish. It’s warm, filling, perfect for cold winter days, and it’s a crowd pleaser. It's also the perfect way to use up any sauerkraut and sausage you might have hanging around in your fridge.

OK, it’s a crowd pleaser when I make it, and the crowd consists of my family. It is not a crowd pleaser when your neighbor’s father makes it, improperly stores it in jars, and you and your whole family (minus the one person who didn’t eat any Bigos) spend the next three days in the bathroom. That was a couple of years ago, and it completely put us off Bigos. That’s not what we had in mind for a New Year’s cleanse.

I’m from Pennsylvania where it is a New Year tradition to make pork and sauerkraut served over mashed potatoes. They say it comes from the Amish and that it brings good luck. With that tradition in mind, we decided to try our hand at Bigos again this year. I am proud to say that everything turned out as planned.

Everybody has their own Bigos recipe, and I am convinced (despite our previous adventures) that everybody's is good. I invite you to check out my own recipe. Smacznego to you!

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs sauerkraut

1 lb fresh cabbage

1 large carrot

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic (optional)

¼ lb mushrooms, any kind, best wild from the Polish forest ;)

20 prunes (smoked if you can find them)

¾ cup tomato paste

1 tbsp honey (optional, esp. if your bigos turns out too sour)

2 links of smoked sausage

1 lb beef, pork, or venison

¼ lb smoked bacon (optional)

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tbsp marjoram

1 tsp caraway or cumin in a pinch, whole not ground

3 allspice berries

3 bay leaves

3 juniper berries, crushed

2 cups red wine, sweet or semi-sweet

How to make Bigos

Chop or grate the fresh cabbage and start cooking in a pot or crockpot with some water. Chop the sauerkraut (rinsed a bit if you prefer a milder stew) and add to the pot. Add the carrot, sliced or grated. Add water as needed. Some folks use only sauerkraut without fresh cabbage, and it is delicious as well.

Fry the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and sausage. Boil or fry the remaining meat. Use any and all meat you'd like from smoked sausage, beef, pork, ham, fried bacon, or venison.

Now we need all ingredients simmering in the pot so add everything - the cooked meat and mushrooms, the prunes, whole or chopped, the spices and wine to taste, honey, and tomato paste. Adjust ingredients and proportions to your family’s taste. If you’d like a thicker stew, add some flour as a thickener. Be prepared to be on “pot duty” in the kitchen. Somebody’s got to keep stirring the Bigos so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Pour yourself a glass or two of the remaining Bigos wine. Cook the stew forever (or 90-120 minutes) until everything is soft and yummy.

For best results and softer meat, leave the finished product for the night. I leave it wrapped up on the porch. The cabbage and meat will be completely softened and the color will darken. Serve with some good bread and butter. Polish breakfast of champions :)

Smacznego!

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Polish Hunter’s Stew Recipe (Bigos)