Bigos, a traditional Polish hunter's stew, is a hearty and flavorful dish that combines a variety of meats, vegetables, and spices. Typically made with sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, and a variety of meats such as kielbasa, pork, and beef, bigos is a versatile dish that can be customized to taste. This article provides three delicious recipes for bigos, each with its own unique flavor profile. From a classic bigos recipe that stays true to the traditional Polish flavors to a modern vegetarian version and a bigos casserole that's perfect for a comforting family meal, these recipes offer something for everyone. Whether you're a seasoned cook or a beginner in the kitchen, you'll find a bigos recipe here that you'll love.
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BIGOS (HUNTER'S STEW)
A traditional Polish stew using pork, kielbasa, and sauerkraut. Great for a cold winters day. Well worth the time it takes to make it!
Provided by MJ46NY
Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Stews Pork
Time 3h45m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 25
Steps:
- 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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 356.3 calories, Carbohydrate 15.2 g, Cholesterol 62.3 mg, Fat 23.5 g, Fiber 3.9 g, Protein 19.8 g, SaturatedFat 7.9 g, Sodium 977.8 mg, Sugar 6.5 g
BIGOS (POLISH HUNTER'S STEW)
Bigos is almost a Polish national dish. This is a traditional recipe from Poland. Bigos is a rich flavorful stew with sauerkraut, Polish sausage, beef, pork, red wine, caraway seeds and more. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.
Provided by Olenka
Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Stews Beef
Time 2h50m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Place sauerkraut in a large pan or casserole dish and pour in 4 cups of boiling water. Add prunes, allspice, and bay leaves. Simmer until Sauerkraut is soft, about 50 minutes.
- Pour about 1 cup of boiling water over mushrooms and soak to rehydrate, about 30 minutes. Drain and chop mushrooms, reserving the liquid.
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium to high heat. Add onion and sausage. Saute while stirring until onion is soft and sausage is browned, about 5 minutes.
- In a separate pan, bring about 4 cups of water to a boil. Add beef, pork, and bacon. Simmer until cooked through for 20 minutes, then drain.
- When sauerkraut is soft, add the drained meat mixture, sausage-onion mixture, and soaked mushrooms; mix well. Simmer uncovered over low heat, about 20 minutes.
- Pour in red wine and cook for 15 minutes until flavors are well blended. Season with caraway seeds, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Stir in tomato puree. If the stew is too dry, pour in some of the water reserved from soaking the mushrooms, and simmer so flavors combine, about 5 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 656.8 calories, Carbohydrate 54.2 g, Cholesterol 90 mg, Fat 34.8 g, Fiber 12.4 g, Protein 32.9 g, SaturatedFat 10.6 g, Sodium 2486.1 mg, Sugar 18.3 g
HUNTERS' STEW FROM WARSAW (BIGOS WARSZAWSKI)
The intermarriage of French and Polish nobility was greatly responsible for adding a distinctive French flair to traditional Polish cooking. This recipe is considered "high Polish Cuisine" as compared to - Bigos, Hunters' Stew - the peasant version. Both have been posted by request. *Bigos is made with a only a small amount of added liquid.
Provided by Lorac
Categories Stew
Time 2h30m
Yield 5 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Brown pork in the hot bacon drippings.
- Place in a kettle and add sauerkraut, sausage, water and boullion cube.
- Cover and simmer until the pork is tender (1 to 1 1/2 hours).
- In the meantime, add the cabbage to a pot of boiling water, reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes and drain.
- Saute the bacon and onion until golden, add the flour mixed with water and stir until smooth.
- Stir into the pork- sauerkraut mixture and add the tomato paste, cabbage, mushrooms, salt and pepper.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, add wine and serve with steamed potatoes or crusty rye bread.
BIGOS STEW
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 2h50m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Sprinkle the cubed pork generously with salt and pepper. In a large pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, saute bacon, kielbasa and pork until browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove bacon, pork and kielbasa from pan and set aside. Reserve the rendered fat.
- Add onions to the same pan and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add prune butter and tomato paste. Mix in well, then add caraway, marjoram and paprika and saute for another minute.
- Return the meat to the pan, then add the sauerkraut, broth, carrot, potato and mushrooms. Heat over medium heat until the stew begins to bubble. Cover the pan, then transfer to the oven and bake until the vegetables and meat are fork-tender, 1 to 2 hours. Season to taste.
POLISH HUNTER'S CHOUCROUTE (BIGOS)
Alex Witchel brought this recipe to The Times in 2008. Bigos is the sauerkraut stew that many consider the national dish of Poland. The author Louis Begley calls it Polish choucroute. With a pot of coarse grain mustard on the side and boiled potatoes topped with dill, the overall effect is a grown-up's version of a child's dinner party.
Provided by Alex Witchel
Categories one pot, sausages, main course
Time 4h
Yield 6 generous servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Place onions in a bowl and mix with salt; set aside. Place a large skillet over medium heat; sauté bacon until brown and crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onions to pan; sauté over medium heat until golden, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat; set aside.
- Place sauerkraut in a heavy casserole without rinsing it unless you find the taste too strong. If you do, rinse in cold water and press water out in a colander. Add to sauerkraut the onions, potatoes, garlic, peppercorns and all meats except frankfurters, sausages and kielbasa. Peel and core apples, cut into quarters, and add to casserole. Mix well. Add enough consommé and wine to barely reach surface of sauerkraut. Cover and cook over low heat for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of casserole.
- Allow casserole to cool. Throw out bones and outer skin of knuckles. If not serving dish the same day, cover and refrigerate. If serving the same day, add sausages and kielbasa, and cook over low heat for 1 hour before serving.
- Fifteen minutes before serving, pour vodka over mixture. Place on a platter with raised edges (to prevent liquid from spilling), arranging sausages on top. If desired, serve with coarse grain mustard and lightly buttered boiled potatoes sprinkled with chopped dill.
BIGOS
Bigos is usually translated as "hunter's stew" and is sometimes referred to as the national dish of Poland. This version, adapted from Monika Woods, is rich with meat but heightened with caraway balanced by the tartness of sauerkraut, tomato and sweet fresh cabbage. Woods's mother makes it with the ends and scraps of meat saved and frozen over months' worth of meals, so feel free to experiment with different cuts. Smoky kielbasa is the only necessary constant.
Provided by Francis Lam
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Pat the beef very dry with paper towel. Season it with salt and pepper. Over medium-high heat, slick a large, heavy pot with oil. When the oil shimmers, sear the beef in one layer until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a large bowl. Pour off the fat from the pot, add 1/4 cup water and stir to dissolve the browned bits. Pour these juices into the seared meat. Rinse and wipe out the pot, and repeat this process with the pork shoulder.
- Place the clean pot over medium heat with a slick of oil. While it heats, add the kielbasa in 1 layer. Brown it until deep golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the kielbasa to the seared-meat bowl, but keep the fat in the pot.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, then add the caraway seed and allspice, and stir for 20 seconds or until very fragrant. Add the onion and a few pinches of salt. Stir to pick up any browned bits; if the bottom of the pot looks dry, add a few splashes of water. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the carrots, tomatoes, seared meat and juices, and raise the heat to high. When it boils, add the cabbage and sauerkraut. Cook, stirring, until the cabbage is wilted and has released its juices. The liquid should nearly submerge the solids; add water if needed. Bring the pot to a simmer, add the bay leaves, then turn heat down to low to maintain a barely bubbling simmer, and cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly ajar.
- Simmer the stew for 2 to 6 hours. At 2 hours, the meat should be tender and the flavor of the bigos will be bright and acidic. At 4 hours, the meat and cabbage will be very tender, with a balanced flavor. (This is my preference.) At 6 hours, which is more traditional, the meat will be falling apart into the cabbage. Adjust seasoning with salt or pepper to taste, and serve with rye bread.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 461, UnsaturatedFat 20 grams, Carbohydrate 17 grams, Fat 31 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 30 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 1011 milligrams, Sugar 8 grams, TransFat 0 grams
Tips:
- Choose the Right Meat: Use a combination of meats for a more complex flavor. Pork shoulder, beef chuck roast, and kielbasa are all great options.
- Prepare the Cabbage Properly: Shred the cabbage thinly so that it cooks evenly. You can use a food processor or a sharp knife.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Sautéing the vegetables before adding them to the pot helps to develop their flavor.
- Use a Variety of Spices: Bigos is a hearty and flavorful dish, so don't be afraid to use a variety of spices. Caraway seeds, juniper berries, and bay leaves are all classic additions.
- Cook it Low and Slow: Bigos is a slow-cooked dish. Simmer it for at least 2 hours, or even longer, to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve it with Bread or Potatoes: Bigos is traditionally served with bread or potatoes. It can also be served over rice or noodles.
Conclusion:
Bigos is a delicious and hearty Polish stew that is perfect for a cold winter day. It is made with a variety of meats, vegetables, and spices, and it is simmered for hours until the flavors have melded together. Bigos can be served with bread or potatoes, and it is also a great dish to freeze for later.
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