Cooking made easy
Let our assistant inspire your next meal!
Simply provide a recipe idea or the ingredients you have, and
ScrummyChef will instantly come up with a new recipe just for you.

Chef John's Polish Hunter's Stew

4.5
Save
Rate
Tap to rate
PREP TIME
30 min
COOKING TIME
150 min
TOTAL TIME
660 min
SERVINGS
6 servings
Dinner Polish
Chef John's Polish Hunter's Stew
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups packed, drained sauerkraut (not rinsed)
  • 1 small head green cabbage, quartered and sliced
  • 4 strips bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 pound boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound Polish sausage links, sliced (or any other sausage)
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 3 pitted prunes, diced
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • salt to taste
Instructions
1
Soak the mushrooms in warm water for about 10-15 minutes, allowing them to become tender and soft. Remove the mushrooms from the water and chop them into smaller pieces.
2
Melt butter in a large, heavy cooking vessel or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the sauerkraut and shredded cabbage to the pot, stirring occasionally as they cook down. Once the meat is browned according to the package instructions, add it to the pot along with the sauerkraut.
3
In a separate pan, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook until it is nicely browned but not yet crispy, then transfer the bacon to the pot with the cabbage. Leave the bacon grease in the skillet.
4
Brown pork shoulder pieces in the remaining bacon grease over medium-high heat, sprinkling them with salt as they cook. Stir constantly until the pork is nicely browned on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the pork to the pot.
5
Add chunks of beef to the skillet, sprinkling them with salt as they cook. Stir occasionally until the beef is nicely browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add sausage slices to the skillet and cook until they are nicely browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer the sausage to the pot.
6
Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium and add chopped onion, sprinkling it with salt as it cooks. Stir occasionally until the onion is translucent and starting to take on some color. Add chopped mushrooms and diced prunes, stirring occasionally as they cook for about 2 minutes.
7
Pour in a dry red wine and raise the heat to medium-high. Simmer until the wine has reduced to almost nothing, stirring occasionally. Transfer the onion mixture to the pot with the cabbage and meat.
8
Add a blend of spices, including paprika, caraway seeds, thyme, allspice, bay leaf, pepper, and salt. Stir to distribute the ingredients evenly.
9
Cover the pot tightly and simmer over medium-low heat until the meat is tender, about 1-1.5 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow the stew to cool slightly.
10
Refrigerate the stew overnight to let the flavors blend together.
11
Place the pot over low to medium-low heat and add a splash of water. Bring the stew to a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until it is hot and ready to serve, about 10-15 minutes.