Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)
Description
This bigos (Polish hunter's stew) recipe is for a well-loved Polish flavorful stew with sauerkraut, meat, bacon, mushrooms, caraway seeds, and red wine.
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
•
1/2 pound beef stew meat, cubed
•
1/2 pound boneless pork shoulder, cubed
•
1/2 cup bacon strips, diced
•
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•
2 onion, chopped
•
1 Polish sausage, sliced
•
3/4 cup red wine
•
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
•
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
•
salt and pepper to taste
•
3 tablespoons tomato paste
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.