Bigos Polish Hunter's Stew

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This authentic Polish Bigos, aka Hunter Stew, is made of delicious meat, sauerkraut and wild mushrooms. It is decadent, hearty, and perfect for a winter meal!

Prep Time30

Cook Time3 30

Total Time4

Course: Christmas, Dinner

Cuisine: Polish

Keyword: Bigos, Hunter Stew

Servings:

Calories: 550kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs beef beef stew
1 lbs pork sausage
1 lbs smoked sausage
1 onions medium dice
4 carrots shredded
2 apples medium dice
1 parsnip shredded
1 celery root shredded
1 green cabbage medium
2 jars sauerkraut best is Bubbies sauerkraut
1 mushroom stock
1 beef stock
2 cups red wine
1/2 lbs wild mushrooms soaked overnight
10 oz dried prunes
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp granulated onion
2 tbsp marjoram
2 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp olive oil
6 bay leaves
8 oz tomato paste
2 tbsp juniper berries ground- optional
black pepper to taste
salt to taste

Instructions

Soak the mushroom the night before. Make sure that they are coverd Wwith water all the way.
In a large pot heat up 2 tablespoons of the oil, add juniper, bay leaf and diced onion and gently fry for 5 minutes stirring often. Sat it aside.
Shred parnip, carrots and celery root.
Chop the beef and brown it in the hot frying pan with 2 tablespons of olive oil Then add pork sausage and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the meat to the pot.
Chop the green cabbage.
Remove mushroom from the water and transfer them to the cutting board. Raughly chop them.
Medium dice apples.
Add vegetables, mushrooms, spices, and 2 cups of mushrooms and 3 cups of beef broth to the pot. Stir to combine. Close the lid, bring to a boil then simmer for two hours, stirring occasionally. Make sure the bigos doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Chop the smoked sausage. In a frying pan heat up the remaining oil (1-2 tablespoons) and fry the chopped sausage until crispy, stirring often. Add the sausage, sauerkraut and tomato paste into the stew and continue cooking gently for 1-1½ hours. Add a little more broth if needed.
Serve with mashed potatoes, pierogis, roasted veggies or just eat plain bigos. It is very filling.

Notes

I recommend buying the Bubbies sauerkraut - you can find it in Whole Foods or any health food store. I prefer this one to the Polish one but you can also buy one in a Polish delicatessen. Look for organic, preservative-free sauerkraut that’s yellowish in color, not grey.
Use any meat you like but make sure that it’s dark, not white. Pork ribs or pork shoulder are good options. If you are able to find a wild game for it! Just make sure that it is not salted or cured.
Use any Polish sausage (kielbasa) but ensure it’s smoked (most are). You can also add pork breakfast sausage and crisped-up bacon or pieces of chopped ham
Add the beef or mushroom broth to the stew. It should be full of moisture, though adding too much of it may result in a soupy consistency, which is not what you want.
Do NOT add any salt into your bigos. Both sauerkraut as well as Polish sausage are quite salty, so you might only have to add pepper to taste. Adjust the seasoning towards the end of cooking.

Nutrition