Bigos (Hunters Stew)
A weekend Polish dinner made with pork. Ready in about 3 hours 36 minutes. Difficulty: more effort.
- 26 minPrep (about)
- 3 hr 10 minCook (about)
- 3 hr 36 minTotal time
- 4Servings
- More effortDifficulty
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Join the waitlist Not nowIngredients
Main ingredients
- 2 bacon
- 1 lb pork Shopping tip: Pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut in cubes.
Fresh & other
- 1 lb kielbasa
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 garlic
- 1 onion
- 1 ½ cups mushrooms
- 4 cups cabbage
- 1 sauerkraut
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1 dash hotsauce
- 5 cups beef stock Shopping tip: Beef broth (carton or can), or a beef bouillon cube in hot water.
- 2 tbsp tomato paste Shopping tip: Tomato paste (UK: tomato purée), in a small can or tube.
- 1 cup diced tomatoes Shopping tip: Canned diced tomatoes (14.5 oz can = about 1¾ cups).
Sauces & oils
- 1 dash worcestershire sauce
Spices & seasonings (5): bay leaf, basil, marjoram, paprika, caraway seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp basil Shopping tip: Dried basil is fine here.
- 1 tsp marjoram
- 1 tbsp paprika
- ¼ tsp caraway seeds
How to make it
Steps in our own plain words.
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Turn the oven on to 350°F.
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Heat a large pot over medium heat.
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Add the bacon and kielbasa.
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Cook.
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Mix till your bacon has rendered its fat plus sausage is lightly browned.
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Use a slotted spoon to remove your meat.
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Move to a large casserole or big heavy pot.
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Coat your cubes of pork lightly with flour.
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Fry them in your bacon drippings over medium-high heat till golden.
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Use a slotted spoon to move the pork to the casserole.
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Add the sauerkraut, cabbage, fresh mushrooms, carrots, onion and garlic.
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Turn the heat down to medium.
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Cook.
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Mix till the carrots are soft, about 10 minutes.
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Do not let the vegetables brown.
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Deglaze your pan by pouring in your red wine plus stirring to loosen all of your bits of food plus flour that are stuck to the bottom.
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Season with cayenne pepper, caraway seeds, pepper, salt, paprika, marjoram, basil and the bay leaf.
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Cook for 1 minute.
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Mix in tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and the dried mushrooms.
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Heat through until boiling.
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Pour your vegetables and all of the liquid in the baking dish with the meat.
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Cover with a lid.
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Bake in the heat the oven.
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Keep going for 2 1 2 to 3 hours, till meat is very tender.
On the side: Crusty bread
A side we added to round out the meal. It is not part of the original recipe.
How to make it (5 min)
- Slice the bread. Warm it in the oven for 5 minutes if you like.
More pork recipes
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Join the waitlistRecipe from TheMealDB, adapted from the original. Steps rewritten in our own words. Times are estimates.