Bigos (Polish hunter's stew)
A weekend Polish dinner made with beef. Ready in about 2 hours 43 minutes. Difficulty: more effort.
- 23 minPrep (about)
- 2 hr 20 minCook (about)
- 2 hr 43 minTotal time
- 4Servings
- More effortDifficulty
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Join the waitlist Not nowIngredients
Main ingredient
- 1.7 lb beef Shopping tip: Chuck roast or stew beef, cut in cubes.
Fresh & other
- 1 white cabbage Shopping tip: Green cabbage (UK: white cabbage).
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp beef stock Shopping tip: Beef broth (carton or can), or a beef bouillon cube in hot water.
- 3 ½ oz mushrooms
- 2 tbsp lard
- 14 oz german sausages
- 9 oz bacon
- 2 onions
- 7 oz prunes
- 2 cloves
- 4 juniper berries
- ⅓ cup + 2 ½ tsp red wine
- 2 tbsp tomato paste Shopping tip: Tomato paste (UK: tomato purée), in a small can or tube.
Spices & seasonings (3): bay leaf, peppercorns, allspice berries
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 peppercorns
- 4 allspice berries
How to make it
Steps in our own plain words.
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Put the cabbage in a heavy baking dish.
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Add the stock.
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Cook over a low heat for around 50 mins, until soft.
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Cut the soaked mushrooms in strips and save the soaking water.
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Heat the lard.
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Fry the sausages and bacon.
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Scoop out, leaving your fat in the pan.
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Fry your onion in same pan for 5-8 mins till lightly browned.
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Add your mushrooms and their liquid along with prunes, onions and all the cooked meat.
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Cover.
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Cook for 20 mins.
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Add the tomato pur, red wine and spicesée.
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Bring to a simmer.
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Cover.
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Cook for 1 hr.
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Season well.
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Leave to cool.
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Will keep covered plus chilled for up to two days.
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Bigos improves in flavour over 2 days.
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Leave to cool first.
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Reheat until piping hot before serving.
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 beef recipes
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Join the waitlistRecipe from TheMealDB, adapted from the original. Steps rewritten in our own words. Times are estimates.