Bigos (Bigos) — Polish Hunter’s Stew with Sauerkraut and Meat

• 25 gdried porcini mushrooms
• 500 mlboiling water
• 900 gsauerkraut (drained but not rinsed unless extremely salty)
• 700 ggreen cabbage (cored and finely shredded)
• 600 gpork shoulder (cut into 3 cm cubes)
• 400 gbeef chuck (cut into 3 cm cubes)
• 200 gsmoked bacon (cut into lardons)
• 350 gsmoked Polish kielbasa (sliced into 1 cm rounds)
• 1 tbsplard
• 2large yellow onions (finely chopped)
• 3 clovegarlic (minced)
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 240 mldry red wine
• 120 gpitted prunes (roughly chopped)
• 3 leafbay leaves
• 6whole allspice berries
• 8juniper berries (lightly crushed)
• 1 tspcaraway seeds
• 1.5 tspdried marjoram
• 1 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 1 tspfine sea salt (adjust only after simmering because sauerkraut and smoked meats are salty)

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour over 500 ml boiling water. Cover the bowl and let the mushrooms soak for 30 minutes while you prepare the meats and cabbage.

2. 2

   Lift the soaked mushrooms from the liquid, chop them finely, and reserve them in a small bowl. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve lined with paper towel or cheesecloth, stopping before any grit at the bottom enters the strained liquid.

3. 3

   Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the lard. Add the bacon lardons and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the fat renders and the bacon edges begin to brown.

4. 4

   Increase the heat to medium-high and brown the pork shoulder and beef chuck in batches, taking about 4 minutes per batch. Do not crowd the pot, because proper browning gives bigos its deep, savory foundation.

5. 5

   Lower the heat to medium and add the chopped onions to the rendered fat in the pot. Cook for 8 minutes, scraping the browned bits from the bottom, then add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more.

6. 6

   Return the browned pork, beef and bacon to the pot, then add the sauerkraut, shredded green cabbage, chopped mushrooms, strained mushroom liquid and red wine. Stir thoroughly so the fresh cabbage begins to collapse into the sauerkraut and meat.

7. 7

   Add the kielbasa, prunes, bay leaves, allspice, juniper, caraway, marjoram, black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the stew to a gentle simmer, then cover the pot partially and cook over low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes to prevent sticking.

8. 8

   Uncover the pot and continue simmering for 30 to 45 minutes, until the meats are tender and the cabbage mixture is thick rather than soupy. Taste and adjust only if needed with a measured 0.25 teaspoon additional salt at a time.

9. 9

   For the most authentic flavor, cool the bigos completely, refrigerate it overnight, and reheat it gently the next day. Serve it very hot in deep bowls with rye bread or boiled potatoes, making sure each portion has cabbage, sausage and tender meat.