polish hunters stew

I am excited to share with you my family recipe for traditional Bigos, a hearty and flavourful Polish Hunter’s Stew fit for royalty.

Bigos - Polish Hunters Stew Recipe 

Stewing Beef

Kielbasa

Lardons

Sauerkraut

White Cabbage

Large Onion

Apple

Mushrooms

Water

glass Dry Red Wine

Prune

Bay Leaves

Allspice Berries

1tsp Marjoram

1tsp Caraway

Honey

Salt

1tsp Ground Black Pepper

Nutmeg

1tbsp Tomato Puree

Rehydrate Mushrooms

Begin by hydrating the dried mushrooms in 1 L of boiling water for around 15 minutes. When ready, remove the mushrooms and strain the water through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any grit or sand. Transfer the mushroom water to a slow cooker dish, leaving behind the last 50 ml (1/4 cup) of water that may contain sediment.

Brown Pork

In a frying pan, sear the lardons and sausage over high heat until browned. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker, leaving the fat in the pan.

Brown Onions

In the same pan, brown the diced onions until softened and lightly browned. Transfer them to the slow cooker.

Brown Beef

Next, brown the diced beef in two batches until browned on all sides. Transfer it to the slow cooker.

Combine Ingredients

Add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, including the hydrated mushrooms, and stir well to combine. Cover with a lid and set the slow cooker to high heat for 5 hours. After the first hour, give it a good stir and repeat every hour or so to distribute the flavours.

Enjoy!

When the Bigos is ready, remove the bay leaves and serve hot with sourdough bread or boiled potatoes. Bigos tastes better with time, so you can store it in the fridge for up to three days, freeze it, or store it in jars if you make a bigger batch. Reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving. Enjoy!

Bigos is possibly the heartiest of all winter stews! This Polish dish combines smoked sausage, meat, sauerkraut, cabbage and prunes – a real “stick to your ribs” meal! My Slow Cooker Bigos recipe is big on flavour – a true crowd pleaser!

Bigos Stew (Polish Hunter’s Stew)

g porcini mushrooms

250 ml (1 cup) boiling water

bacon (, diced)

450 g (1 lb) Polish Kielbasa (cubed)

Polish Kabanos sausage (,

vegetable oil (or as needed)

g pork loin

onions (, diced)

cabbage

900 g (6 cups) raw organic sauerkraut (, drained)

stoned prunes (, halved (or a can of stoned prunes, drained))

tomato paste

bay leaves

tbsp caraway seeds

½ tsp allspice

juniper berries ((optional - if you can find them))

480 ml Polish beer

beef stock ((low sodium beef broth))

Salt and pepper to season

Place the dried mushrooms in a measuring jug and add the boiling water. Set them aside while you prepare the meat.

Pan fry the bacon in a large casserole or large saucepan, until it starts to crisp up a little.

Add the diced sausages and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to your slow cooker.

Brown the pork, in the same pan, adding a bit of oil so it doesn’t stick. You may need to do this in batches. Transfer to the crockpot.

Add the onions to the pan (and a splash more oil if needed) and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the shredded cabbage and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add a splash of beer or stock if the pan gets too dry and then transfer to the slow cooker.

Add the prunes, porcini mushrooms and their liquid, the sauerkraut, tomato paste, bay leaves, seasonings, beer and beef stock. Give everything in the slow cooker a quick stir. Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 8-10 hours (or even overnight).

Discard the bay leaves and check the seasoning. Serve hot with rye bread or over mashed potatoes.

Bigos is a hearty Polish stew made with a mix of meats simmered with sauerkraut and cabbage until everything turns rich, tangy, and deeply savory, better the next day.

Bigos Recipe (Polish Hunter’s Stew)

bacon (chopped)

pork shoulder (or pork

sauerkraut (drained (reserve a little juice))

green cabbage (shredded (about 1½-2 pounds))

onion

garlic (minced)

mushrooms

mushrooms (sliced (cremini/white button))

bay leaf

paprika (or to taste)

marjoram

allspice

black pepper (plus more to taste)

dry red wine (or use stock)

beef stock (or chicken stock, as needed)

prunes (chopped (optional but traditional))

Salt (to taste)

4-6 juniper berries (lightly crushed)

caraway seeds

If using dried porcini - soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes. Lift them out, chop, and save the soaking liquid. Pour the liquid through a fine strainer or coffee filter to remove grit. Set aside.

Bacon

Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until it renders and starts to crisp. Scoop out bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.

Pork

Add the pork pieces to the pot (work in batches if needed). Brown well on all sides - this adds a ton of flavor. Remove browned pork to a bowl.

Onion

Add the onion to the pot and cook 4-5 minutes to soften. Stir in the fresh mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and start to brown. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Tomato

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to caramelize it slightly. Pour in the wine (if using, or 1 cup stock) and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.

Add sauerkraut, shredded cabbage, reserved bacon, browned pork, chopped dried mushrooms, bay leaf, paprika, marjoram, allspice, black pepper, and prunes (if using).

Stock

Pour in 2 cups stock plus ½ cup of the strained mushroom liquid (if you used porcini).

Simmer

Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more stock as needed so it stays saucy, not dry.

Stir in the sliced kielbasa during the last 30 minutes of simmering so it stays juicy and doesn’t overcook.

Serve

Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust, and serve.

We made this recipe last night and it was very good!  Although it is a polish stew, it reminded me of the stews my Hungarian mother made.  It was savory, hearty and tangy.  We used hot Hungarian paprika and next time we might add some jalapenos to spice it up as well!

This is another dish that my mother often made, and I'm so happy to find it here. She never liked the prunes, but I'm glad to have tried them. What a wonderful dish to enjoy.

Top 3 polish hunters stew recipes from across the web

The most viewed polish hunters stew recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Bigos - Polish Hunters Stew Recipe

Bigos Stew (Polish Hunter’s Stew)

Bigos Recipe (Polish Hunter’s Stew)

Top 3 polish hunters stew recipes from across the web

The most viewed polish hunters stew recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Bigos - Polish Hunters Stew Recipe

Bigos Stew (Polish Hunter’s Stew)

Bigos Recipe (Polish Hunter’s Stew)

The most viewed polish hunters stew recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine