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Authentic Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)

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PREP TIME
45 min
COOKING TIME
180 min
TOTAL TIME
225 min
SERVINGS
10 servings
Dinner Polish
Authentic Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)
Ingredients
  • 1 pound kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 thick slices hickory-smoked bacon
  • 1 pound cubed pork stew meat
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups shredded green cabbage
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 (16 ounce) jar sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon caraway seed, crushed
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 5 cups beef stock
  • 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 ounce dried mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons canned tomato paste
  • 1 dash bottled hot pepper sauce
  • 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
1
Firstly, preheat the oven to its optimal temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2
Next, bring a large cooking vessel to a medium heat level and add sliced kielbasa and diced bacon; cook and stir constantly until the fatty parts of the bacon have melted away and the sausage is lightly toasted. Utilize a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked meat into a large baking dish or Dutch oven.
3
Subsequently, lightly dust pork cubes with flour and fry them in the remaining bacon drippings over a medium-high heat level until they have turned golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked pork into the baking dish. Add shredded cabbage, sliced carrots, chopped onion, fresh mushrooms, and minced garlic. Add in fermented sauerkraut. Reduce the heat to a lower medium level; cook and stir constantly until the carrots are tender, approximately 10 minutes. Ensure that the vegetables do not develop a brown color.
4
To clean the pan, pour in red wine and stir vigorously to release all of the stuck food particles and flour residue at the bottom. Season with a bay leaf, paprika, basil, marjoram, salt, pepper, caraway seeds, and cayenne; cook for 1 minute.
5
Combine beef stock, canned tomatoes, dried mushrooms, tomato paste, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Heat the mixture through just until it reaches a boil. Pour all of the vegetables and liquid into the casserole dish with meat. Cover with a lid.
6
Finally, bake the prepared dish in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the meat is extremely tender.