Bigos: Polish Hunter's Stew

I first encountered this dish at an eastern-European restaurant a while back, and I liked it so much I set out to recreate it. I've based this off of a number of recipes I've found online and adjusted to my tastes. It sure tastes wonderful on a cool fall day.

Makes ~8 Servings

Ingredients:
- 1 lb boneless pork chop, cubed
- 1 lb Polish sausage (kielbasa), sliced
- 1/2 lb bacon strips, chopped
- 1 lb sauerkraut, drained of brine
- 1 head of cabbage, shredded
- 1 large Idaho potato, cubed
- 1 large white onion, diced,
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 can diced tomatoes, drained of juice
- 5 cups beef stock
- 1/4 cup red wine or wine vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- basil, oregano, black pepper, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, to taste
- a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- a few dashes of hot pepper sauce

Process:

1) Combine bacon and kielbasa in a large stockpot on medium heat until fat is rendered and kielbasa is lightly browned. Removed bacon and sausage, leaving bacon grease behind.

2) Fry cubed pork in bacon grease until browned. Remove and combine with bacon and sausage, again leaving grease behind.

3) Add red wine to pot and scrape up and bits of meat sticking to bottom of pot. Add garlic, onion, carrots, and potatoes and simmer for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Add sauerkraut, cabbage, and mushrooms, and continue cooking until cabbage is soft, stirring frequently.

4) Add beef stock, spices/sauces, and diced tomato to stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 45 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.

Goes well with corn-bread and stout.

Sounds delicious!

1 lb Polish sausage (kielbasa), sliced

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Fresh or smoked?

And can I get a "Na zdrowie"! (Say it with me "Naz-drove-v-ya"!)

Bigos isn't supposed to be liquid, it's a "dry" stew. It seems as though it might be with your addition of beef stock.

Also,having the recipe in one of my Frugal Gourmet books,he said it took about 5 days or so to make,as whatever was hunted that day was added to the pot. Interesting concept. And my mother being Slovak pronounced it nasdarovye...Short e.

orangehero said:

Bigos isn't supposed to be liquid, it's a "dry" stew. It seems as though it might be with your addition of beef stock.

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Correct. I scoop out the goods with a slotted ladel to separate it from the broth when serving into bowls. But it is also good served with the broth, albeit that makes it more like a cabbage soup.

This isn't really a traditionally/historically accurate recipe, more of a recreation of something delicious I had in a restaurant.