Bigos (Hunters Stew)

Ingredients

• 2 sliced Bacon
• 1 lb Kielbasa
• 1 lb Pork
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 3 chopped Garlic
• 1 Diced Onion
• 1 1/2 cup Mushrooms
• 4 cups Cabbage
• 1 Jar Sauerkraut
• 1/4 cup Red Wine
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1 tsp Marjoram
• 1 tbs Paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon Caraway Seed
• 1 dash Hotsauce
• 5 Cups Beef Stock
• 2 tbs Tomato Puree
• 1 cup Diced Tomatoes
• 1 dash Worcestershire Sauce

Quantities are the original recipe’s. The cost is our own estimate — typical own-brand supermarket prices for these quantities, divided by 4 servings. TheMealDB does not state how many a dish serves, so 4 is our assumption, not theirs. Treat it as “about this much a head”, not a shopping bill.

Method

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Fry the bacon and kielbasa together in a large pot over medium heat until the bacon fat has run and the sausage is lightly coloured, then lift both out with a slotted spoon into a casserole or Dutch oven.
3. Toss the pork cubes in the flour and brown them in the same pot over medium-high heat, then transfer them to the casserole with the other meat.
4. Add the garlic, onion, mushrooms, cabbage and sauerkraut to the pot, lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened but not coloured.
5. Pour in the red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the base of the pot.
6. Stir in the bay leaf, basil, marjoram, paprika and caraway seeds and cook briefly to release their aroma.
7. Add the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, tomato puree and diced tomatoes, and bring the mixture to the boil.
8. Tip the whole pan of liquid and vegetables into the casserole with the meat and stir to combine.
9. Cover the casserole and bake in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender.

These steps were written by StreetOwl from the original recipe, in British English, with every oven temperature and cooking time checked against the source. They are not the original author’s words. If anything reads oddly, the original is linked below and it wins.