Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)

by Tom Ashworth

10 servings

Dried Mushrooms

• 355 mldried mushrooms (porcini or other forest mushrooms)
• 355 mlwater, for soaking

Stew

• 250 gpork shoulder
• 250 gbeef chuck
• 5 mlsalt, for the meat
• black pepper, for the meat
• 30 to 44 mloil
• 6 slicessmoked bacon
• 1large onion
• 225 gbutton mushrooms
• 1 headsmall head of white cabbage
• 500 gsmoked kielbasa
• 250 mlchicken, beef or vegetable stock
• 170 gtomato paste
• 10 mlsalt
• 4 to 5 leavesbay leaves
• 1 clovegarlic
• 10whole black peppercorns
• 10whole allspice berries
• 2.5 mlground black pepper
• 1500 gsauerkraut
• 6pitted prunes