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Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)

Prep Time:30 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Servings: 4 minutes

Bigos (Polish hunter's stew) is almost a Polish national dish. This is a typical recipe from Poland. Bigos is a rich flavorful stew with sauerkraut, Polish sausage, beef, pork, red wine, caraway seeds and more. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.

Ingredients:
  • 3 pounds sauerkraut, rinsed, drained, and chopped
  • 9 cups boiling water, divided
  • 15 pitted prunes
  • 5 whole allspice berries
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 cup dried mushrooms
  • 8 ounces beef stew meat, cubed
  • 8 ounces boneless pork shoulder, cubed
  • ½ cup diced bacon strips
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1 polish sausage, sliced
  • ¾ cup red wine
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
Directions:
  1. Place sauerkraut in a large pot; pour in 4 cups boiling water. Add prunes, allspice berries, and bay leaves; simmer until sauerkraut is soft, about 50 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, pour about 1 cup boiling water over mushrooms in a bowl; soak to rehydrate, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid; chop mushrooms.
  3. Meanwhile, bring remaining 4 cups water to a boil in saucepan. Add beef, pork, and bacon; simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes, then drain.
  4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium to high heat. Add onions and sausage; cook and stir until onions are soft and sausage is browned, about 5 minutes.
  5. When sauerkraut is soft, add mushrooms, meat mixture, and sausage mixture; stir well. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat, about 20 minutes.
  6. Pour in red wine; cook until flavors are well blended, about 15 minutes. Season with caraway seeds, marjoram, salt, and black pepper; stir in tomato paste. If stew seems too dry, add some reserved mushroom liquid, and simmer until flavors combined, about 5 minutes.
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