Hearty Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew) Recipe

With cooler weather upon us, it's natural to choose warm meals over chilled salads to sustain you through the season. Mashed recipe developer Patterson Watkins understands this well, bringing us this hearty bigos recipe. Also known as a Polish hunter's stew, this nourishing dish is sure to satiate your desire for cozy vibes. "There's a lot to like (and dare I say love) about this big pot of stew," Watkins muses, citing "the fork-tender pieces of pork, the smoky bites of sausage, the tangy kraut." She goes on, "Even the earthy sweetness of the mushrooms and prunes adds palate-pleasing balance."

There's plenty going in this delicious stew, yet it all comes together seamlessly in every mouthful. About its origins, Watkins comments, "This stew is straight-up medieval! Bigos was (and still is) considered a special-occasion meal due to the copious amount of meat,a lofty expense at the time," and the (at the time) hard-to-find spices it used. While you might consider them pantry staples now, bigos' various seasonings offer rich layers of flavor to elevate this pork stew beyond the ordinary. 

For this recipe, you'll need olive oil, pork stew meat, salt, black pepper, and a sliced kielbasa link. If you can't source the latter, Watkins says, "Any smoky sausage will substitute nicely. If you want to forgo the sausage aspect completely, a pinch or two of smoked paprika will add that smoked element." Meanwhile, if you love the sound of this hearty stew but aren't a fan of pork, Watkins suggests chicken thighs as an alternative.

Next, get some garlic cloves (minced), along with onion, carrots, celery, and prunes (all diced). You'll also need to reconstitute some dried porcini mushrooms by soaking them in warm water for 15 minutes, then dice those too. Wakins describes porcinis as "handy little umami bombs, especially since they don't impart additional sodium."

Finally, to season and fill out the stew, you'll need allspice, caraway seeds, a can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sauerkraut, chopped cabbage, and bay leaves. To serve, grab some salted butter and several slices of pumpernickel bread.  

Set a large Dutch oven or pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat and pour in the olive oil. Use paper towels to pat the pork dry, then season it with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the seasoned pork and sear it for 6-8 minutes until browned. Remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off the excess oil.

Toss the sliced kielbasa into the pot and cook it for 5 minutes or so, so it becomes lightly browned. Remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer it to the plate with the pork.

Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, prunes, and mushrooms to the pot, stirring well to distribute the ingredients evenly. Saute the vegetables for 5 minutes until they are tender-crisp. Next, add the all-spice and caraway seeds to the pot and stir the spices in with the veggies. Saute the contents for another minute, then add the canned diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir everything to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Once the contents are simmering, add the sauerkraut and cabbage and stir them in to combine. Add the bay leaves to the pot too, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook the stew for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the pork is fork-tender.

Once the stew is ready, serve it in bowls with a slice of pumpernickel bread and some butter on the side. As for leftovers, Watkins instructs: "Let this stew come as close to room temperature as possible before refrigerating." Store it in an airtight container for 2-3 days, and reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. 

"Like chili, bigos will certainly make for tasty leftovers," Watkins notes. Considering the large portion size, you can get creative with extras too. "I could easily see this as a savory pie (a la 'chicken pot') or even as a remix on a shepherd's pie," Watkins shares.