Savoy Cabbage
Bigos
(Hunter's Stew)
Original Recipe Yield 10 servings
2 thick slices hickory-smoked bacon
1 pound kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound cubed pork stew meat
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
4 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups (1/2-inch) sliced carrot
1 (16 ounce) jar sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon caraway seed, crushed
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 ounce dried mushrooms
1 dash bottled hot pepper sauce
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
5 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons canned tomato paste
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and kielbasa; cook
and stir until the bacon has rendered its fat and sausage is lightly
browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat and transfer to a large
casserole or Dutch oven.
Coat the cubes of pork lightly with flour and fry them in the bacon
drippings over medium-high heat until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon
to transfer the pork to the casserole. Add the garlic, onion, carrots,
fresh mushrooms, cabbage and sauerkraut. Reduce heat to medium; cook and
stir until the carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Do not let the
vegetables brown.
Deglaze the pan by pouring in the red wine and stirring to loosen all
of the bits of food and flour that are stuck to the bottom. Season with
the bay leaf, basil, marjoram, paprika, salt, pepper, caraway seeds and
cayenne pepper; cook for 1 minute.
Mix in the dried mushrooms, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce,
beef stock, tomato paste and tomatoes. Heat through just until boiling.
Pour the vegetables and all of the liquid into the casserole dish with
the meat. Cover with a lid.
Bake in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until meat is very
tender.
Bigos is considered the national dish of Poland. It's a hearty,
long-simmered meat-and-sauerkraut stew that goes back centuries. It was
traditionally served at the start of the hunting season, from fall
through Mardi Gras, or until the family's supply of barrel-cured
sauerkraut ran out! Today, it's enjoyed year-round. Any combination of
game, beef, pork, poultry and vegetables works. This recipe is just one
version. Bigos also is an excellent way to use up leftover cooked meats,
and for the family hunter's quota of venison.