Bigos, Polish Hunter's Stew

Bigos, Polish Hunter's Stew

by 

Luclare Cuisine

In the past few weeks we have presented several Polish dishes and today we’ll continue that theme with what is arguably the essential Polish dish – Bigos or Hunter's Stew.  There are certainly hundreds of different recipes for Bigos - a testament to its central position in the Polish cultural heritage.  Bigos is a classic meal dating back centuries, if not for over a thousand years, in Eastern European traditions.  It’s an enduring Holiday offering that has been enjoyed in its various forms by families for close to a millennium.

We will be providing my mother’s version of this timeless fare but be assured, there are many variations so feel free to experiment with different kinds of meats, vegetables or spices to make it your own.  Another thing to keep in mind is that, like a good wine, Bigos gets better with age.  This is the kind of cuisine that should be made in large quantities so it can be enjoyed over an entire Holiday season.  Also, like a good marriage, the more you re-heat it the better it gets.  So savor it, nurture it and enjoy the bounty it brings to you and your family.

So, let’s get on with the cooking…

Ingredients:
1 medium cabbage
2 lb sauerkraut
1 medium onion
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
5 bay leaves
20 peppercorns
2 1/2lb meat, any combination beef, pork, veal, bacon, pork belly, duck, venison, or Polish sausage.

Optional ingredients:
1 cup red dry wine
1 cup wild mushrooms
1 cup prunes

Prep time: Approximately 1 hr.
Cook time: Top of the stove, low to medium heat, approximately 8 hrs.
                    Crock pot, low setting, approximately 8 hrs, high setting, approximately 6 hrs.              

Bigos is a dish that tastes better after it's been reheated a couple of times. Also, it freezes well.

Step 1
*Place the mushrooms in a sieve, rinse well with cold water,  place mushrooms in a small bowl, add enough water to cover the mushrooms, set a side.
*Place sauerkraut in sieve, rinse under cold water, squeeze out the water, let it sit in a sieve to drain.
*Cut the cabbage in half, cut out the core, shred the cabbage.
*Dice the onion.
*Cut the meat into bite size pieces, about 1 inch squares.

Step 2 
*In a medium size pot fry the bacon and/or pork belly, once they are lightly browned remove them into either a crock pot or a large pot leaving the fat.
*in the same medium pot fry the onions until translucent, remove the onions and add them to the bacon.
*next in the same pot, saute the meat, work in small badges, add oil if needed, once the meat has been browned, add to the bacon/onions.
*once all the meat has been browned, deglaze the pot by adding the wine and scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the wine to bacon, onions and meat.

Step 3
In the large pot or a crock pot containing bacon and/or pork belly, onions and meat add the rest of the ingredients, cabbage, sauerkraut, mushrooms with the liquid, prunes, beef and chicken broths, bay leaves, pepper corns. Cover the pot. 

Now you're ready to cook bigos. If using a crock pot, avoid openning the lid too many times, but stir a couple of times. If cooking on the stove top, stir frequently. Remember it taste better once it's been reheated a couple of times and it freezes well.

For a video on Bigos go to: https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=qLIjbf7kLQw

Smacznego! Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Luclare Cuisine