A plate of bigos, sauerkraut stewed with sausage, meat and prunes, topped with parsley

Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)

Name: Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 28 h
Yield: 30 servings
Cuisine: Poland
Ingredients: 105 g dried mushrooms (porcini or other forest mushrooms); ≈ 1060 g water, for soaking; 750 g pork shoulder cut into bite-sized pieces; 750 g beef chuck cut into bite-sized pieces; ≈ 18 g salt, for the meat; black pepper, for the meat; ≈ 82 to 120 g oil; ≈ 505 g smoked bacon cut into small pieces; ≈ 450 g large onion chopped; 675 g button mushrooms sliced; 2100 g small head of white cabbage thinly sliced; 1500 g smoked kielbasa diced; ≈ 760 g chicken, beef or vegetable stock; 510 g tomato paste; ≈ 36 g salt; ≈ 2.5 to 3 g bay leaves; ≈ 9 g garlic crushed; 2 g whole black peppercorns; 5 g whole allspice berries; ≈ 3.5 g ground black pepper; 4500 g sauerkraut drained, juice kept; ≈ 170 g pitted prunes

Tom Ashworth Demo

Makes: 30 servings
Active: 45 min
Total: 28 h

Start 8 h Ahead Dairy FreeEgg FreeNut FreeLow CarbHigh Protein 2 Components · 48% Weighed

You’ll Need Large heavy pot (at least 5 quart (5 litre))

30 servings · 45 min active · 28 h total

Start 8 h Ahead Dairy FreeEgg FreeNut FreeLow CarbHigh Protein 2 Components · 48% Weighed

You’ll Need Large heavy pot (at least 5 quart (5 litre))

Save Add to List

Batch Size3× the Recipe, Larger

¼×½×1×2×4×8×

½×1×2×3×

Details

I Have

Type what you have of one ingredient and the recipe fits it. With two or more, the one that runs out first sets the scale.

Make

Finished Weight (g)Your Portion (g)

Multiply By

Each Component

Scale one part on its own, or keep it as written while the rest changes.

Dried Mushrooms Keep As Written

Stew Keep As Written

Show Percentages of the Base

As Written

Ingredients

0 of 22 Ready

Grams Metric As Written US

Dried Mushrooms

1.17 kg

Stew

12.83 kg

Contains: celery. Based on ingredients. Does not account for cross contact.

Nutrition 431 kcal per serving

Nutrient	Per Serving	Per 100 g
Energy	431 kcal	92 kcal
Fat	29 g	6.1 g
of Which Saturated	9.3 g	2 g
Carbohydrate	22 g	4.8 g
of Which Sugars	11 g	2.3 g
Fibre	8.5 g	1.8 g
Protein	24 g	5.1 g
Sodium	2352 mg	504 mg

Computed from the ingredients. An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Dried Mushrooms

Soak in for about .

the mushrooms are soft and pliableSafe to pause here

[object Object]
Simmer the mushrooms in their soaking water in a small pot until tender, watching it as it likes to boil over. Lift them out, chop them and keep the liquid.

[object Object]

Stew

Season and with and .
Heat in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the meat in batches. Lift it out onto a plate.

well browned on several sides

[object Object]
Add to the pot and let it render for a few minutes.

the fat runs and the bacon starts to crisp

[object Object]
Add and and fry until golden, about .

[object Object]
Add , the browned meat and the chopped dried mushrooms with their cooking liquid. Stir in , , , , , , , and .
Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, for about .

the fresh cabbage has wilted and softened

[object Object]
Stir in and , cover and cook gently for , stirring from time to time so nothing sticks.

the cabbage is very soft and the meat tendera thick stew with some juice, not soupy

[object Object]
Take off the heat, cool, and refrigerate overnight.

Safe to pause here

[object Object]
The next day, bring it back to a gentle simmer and cook about , uncovered if there is a lot of liquid. Taste: add a splash of the sauerkraut juice if it needs more tang, or salt if flat. Repeat on the third day for the best bigos.

dark, glossy and mellow, with the sourness rounded off

[object Object]

Whole cuts of pork should reach 63 °C (145 °F) at the centre, then rest 3 minutes. USDA FSIS
Whole cuts of beef should reach 63 °C (145 °F) at the centre, then rest 3 minutes. USDA FSIS

From Tom Ashworth

Bigos is never finished on the day you make it. Fresh cabbage softens the sour bite of the sauerkraut, dried mushrooms and their soaking liquid give it a woodsy depth, and smoked bacon and kielbasa season the whole pot. Cook it once, cool it, and cook it again the next day: each reheating makes it richer and brings everything together.

Notes

Several days: the stew is good on day one, better on day two and best on day three. Bring it to a gentle simmer for about an hour each day, stirring so it does not catch, and cool it again in between. Many Polish cooks keep reheating it for a week.
Sauerkraut: use barrel-cured sauerkraut made with only cabbage, salt and water. Taste it first: if it is very sour, rinse it briefly and squeeze it out. Keep the juice to sharpen the pot at the end if needed.
Meat: any mix of pork and beef works, and bigos is a fine home for leftover roast meat or game. If using cooked meat, skip the searing and add it with the cabbage.
Prunes: a handful of smoked or regular prunes is traditional and adds a dark, sweet note; stir them in with the sauerkraut.
A splash of dry red wine with the sauerkraut is another common addition.

Storage

Keeps a week in the fridge and freezes for 3 months. Packed hot into clean jars it keeps a couple of weeks in the fridge.

Make Ahead

Make it 2 to 3 days before you want to serve it and reheat it once a day.