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Bigos (polish meat stew) by

Tags: ChristmasEve

After wiki: Bigos, known as a hunter's stew, is a traditional meat stew typical of Polish.

"In the pots warmed the bigos; mere words cannot tell
Of its wondrous taste, colour and marvellous smell."
Adam Mickiewicz, Pan Tadeusz, Book 4: Diplomacy and Hunt

Ingredients

- sauerkraut (kapusta kiszona): 1 kg
- water
- several kinds of pork meats (ribs, ham, neck, loin, or other lean): 0.8 - 1 kg (rather less than more)
- lard (for frying): 6 tbsp
- smoked belly bacon: 200 g
- onions: 3 medium
- dried plums (pitted prunes): 60 g
- dried mushrooms (preferably porcini): 20 g
- red (semi)dry wine: 200 ml
- crushed garlic: 2 cloves
- 1 bay leaf, 1 juniper berry or allspice corn, 1 pepper corn, 1 tsp of ground caraway
- optionally: spices mix for bigos
- salt and pepper

Instructions

1. In the biggest pot boil the sauerkraut in water.
2. If if the water is too sour, drain the sauerkraut and add a fresh water (but only so much to cover the sauerkraut).
3. Season the meat with salt and pepper and fry on the lard. You can use canola or olive oil instead, but with lard it tastes best.
4. Add the meat to the pot.
5. Chop bacon and onions and fry it on the same fat. Add it to the pot. If the bacon is lean, consider adding some lard.
6. Cut plums and mushrooms into pieces and add them to the pot.
7. Add wine.
8. Add garlic and the rest of spices to the pot.
9. Mix it, cover and cook it on low heat for at least 1 hour (preferably 2 hours) - until the meat is tender. At the end there should be as little water as possible - uncover and boil it if needed.

Serve with mashed potatoes or bread. It tastes best on 2nd or 3rd day, when all the flavours mix together. Keep it in fridge in the meantime ofc.

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