Old Polish Bigos with Sauerkraut, Meat, and Prunes
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Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/main-dishes/old-polish-bigos-with-sauerkraut-meat-and-prunes
About this recipe
Bigos made with sauerkraut and fresh cabbage, pork, sausage, and prunes is a filling dish that tastes best after long, gentle cooking. First brown the meat, then simmer it with the cabbage, mushrooms, and seasonings until everything is tender, aromatic, and slightly thick. Make the recipe in one large pot; serve the bigos with bread or potatoes.
Ingredients
Servings: 6
700 g sauerkraut, squeezed dry and chopped
600 g green cabbage, finely shredded
400 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into approximately 3 cm cubes
250 g smoked sausage, cut into half-slices
100 g smoked bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
40 g dried wild mushrooms, broken into smaller pieces
120 g pitted prunes, halved
2 tablespoons canola oil
500 ml water
2 bay leaves
4 allspice berries
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Steps
Squeeze the sauerkraut dry and chop it, and finely shred the fresh cabbage. Rinse the dried mushrooms, cover them with part of the measured water, and set aside for 10 minutes; then drain, reserving the water. Cut the meat, bacon, sausage, onion, garlic, and prunes.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 4 minutes, until it renders slightly, then add the pork shoulder and cook for about 8 minutes, turning the pieces until clearly browned.
Add the onion, garlic, and sausage. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion softens and the sausage browns slightly. Add the sweet paprika and marjoram, then stir for 30 seconds so the spices do not burn.
Add the sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, mushrooms, prunes, bay leaves, allspice berries, pepper, and salt. Pour in the reserved mushroom-soaking water and the remaining water, then mix thoroughly.
Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook for 2 hours 30 minutes, stirring every 25–30 minutes; if it begins to stick, add 50–100 ml water. The bigos is ready when both cabbages and the meat are completely tender and the liquid has noticeably thickened.
Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves and allspice berries, then taste the bigos after mixing thoroughly. Add a little salt if needed. If the dish is too thin, cook uncovered over medium heat for 5–10 minutes, until it reaches a thick, moist consistency.
Serve the bigos hot, 5 minutes after removing it from the heat. Refrigerate cooled bigos for up to 3 days and reheat it thoroughly in a pot before serving.
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