Bigos from Poland

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1,000 g goulash, mixed
• 1,000 g sauerkraut
• 1,000 g white cabbage
• 250 g smoked pork belly
• 200 g prunes
• 3 Mettenden
• 3 tomatoes
• 3 onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 apple, sour
• 3 bay leaves
• 15 g porcini mushrooms, dried
• 600 ml beef broth
• 125 ml red wine
• 5 tbsp Madeira
• 2 tbsp lard
• 1 cinnamon stick(s)
• 4 carnations
• 4 tbsp paprika powder, sweet

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 4 hours

Traditional cabbage stew made from steamed sauerkraut

First, soak the porcini mushrooms and prunes in a small bowl of hot water for 30 minutes. Drain well and chop finely. Meanwhile, wash and dry the goulash, finely chop the bacon, and dice the onions. Peel and dice the tomatoes. Finely chop or, ideally, shred the white cabbage. Heat the lard in a sufficiently large pot, fry the bacon, brown the meat in batches, remove the meat and bacon, and set aside. Then sauté the onions until translucent. Meanwhile, simmer the Madeira in a small pot for a few minutes, stirring constantly, then add the stock. In a large pot, add the sauerkraut, mushrooms, prunes, the garlic cloves (crushed with a broad knife), the diced apple, and the peeled and diced tomatoes, and cook briefly. Then add the meat back in. Deglaze with the stock-Madeira mixture, top up, and bring everything back to a simmer. Now add the finely chopped white cabbage, which needs to be simmered for a while. I cover the pot, which (feels) faster then. Stir everything together occasionally until the cabbage is somewhat soft and has a uniform consistency. The mixture should be almost covered with liquid; add a little more if necessary. Stir in some caraway seeds and paprika, stick the cloves into the bay leaves and place them on top along with the cinnamon stick, then let everything simmer for about 2 to 3 hours with the lid slightly tilted. Once the liquid has reduced, gradually add the red wine, followed by the broth. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Half an hour before the end of the cooking time, add the mettenden sausages, cut into approximately 2.5 cm pieces. Season with salt and pepper at the end. We often eat bigos over several days, as it always tastes better reheated several times. In winter, I even leave the covered pot outside overnight so everything freezes solid. If you like, you can serve it with potatoes or simply lightly toasted bread.