Chef John's bigos recipe is a meaty Polish hunter's stew. It is usually made with wild game such as venison or boar, but you can use beef, pork, or other meat—just use a lot. It's perfect for feeding a crowd, especially when the weather turns cold and dreary.
Ingredients
- 0.25 cups dried porcini mushrooms
- 0.5 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small head green cabbage , quartered and sliced
- 2 cups packed , not rinsed
- 4 stripss bacon , cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound pork shoulder , cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 1 pound boneless beef chuck , cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound Polish sausage links , or any other sausage
- 1 large onion , peeled and chopped
- 3 pitteds prunes , diced
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 large bay leaf
- 0.5 teaspoons caraway seeds
- 0.25 teaspoons allspice
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
-
1
Soak mushrooms in warm water in a bowl to soften, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, then chop.
-
2
Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add cabbage and sauerkraut; cook, stirring occasionally.
-
3
Cook bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned but not crisp; transfer to the pot with cabbage, leaving drippings in skillet.
-
4
Add pork shoulder to skillet; sprinkle with salt. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes; transfer to the pot. Add beef to skillet; sprinkle with salt. Cook and stir until browned, about 4 or 5 minutes; transfer to the pot. Add sausage to skillet; cook and stir until browned. Transfer to the pot.
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5
Reduce skillet heat to medium. Add onion; sprinkle with salt. Cook and stir until onion translucent and starts to color. Stir in mushrooms and prunes; cook and stir about 2 minutes. Pour in red wine; increase heat to medium-high. Simmer until wine is reduced and very little liquid remains. Transfer onion mixture to the pot; season with paprika, thyme, bay leaf, caraway seeds, allspice, black pepper, and salt. Stir to combine and evenly distribute.
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6
Cover pot tightly; simmer over medium-low heat until meat is tender, 1 to 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool stew slightly. Refrigerate to let flavors blend, 8 hours to overnight.
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7
Place pot over low to medium-low heat; add splash of water. Bring stew to a low simmer, stirring occasionally; cook until hot, 10 to 15 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
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