Hearty Polish Bigos Stew with Smoky Kielbasa and Pork

Recipe Collection: Dinner

Hearty Polish Bigos Stew with Smoky Kielbasa and Pork warms you up with a traditional dish that brings together smoky kielbasa, tender pork, and tangy sauerkraut for a comforting meal. This non-vegetarian recipe is perfect for cold winter days, offering a rich blend of flavors and textures that will satisfy your cravings.

With its robust flavor profile, this stew is versatile enough to be served on its own or paired with crusty bread. You can easily select this recipe from the easyChef Pro App, where you’ll find personalized recommendations, AI-powered pantry tracking, and a smart shopping list to streamline your meal prep.

Overview

Bigos, also known as Hunter's Stew, is a hearty and traditional Polish dish perfect for cold winter days. This flavorful stew combines smoky kielbasa, tender pork, and tangy sauerkraut, simmered to perfection with a blend of spices and vegetables.

Diet Type

Non-Vegetarian

Allergies

None specified

Cuisine

Polish

Serving Size: 10

Cooking Time: 225 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Pound (lb) kielbasa sausage, sliced
• 2 Thick slices hickory-smoked bacon
• 1 Pound (lb) cubed pork stew meat
• 0.25 Cups all-purpose flour
• 4 Cups green cabbage, shredded
• 2 Medium carrots, diced
• 1 Medium onion, minced
• 1.5 Cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 3 Whole garlic cloves, minced
• 1 16 Ounces (oz) jar sauerkraut, drained
• 0.25 Cups dry red wine
• 1 Whole bay leaf
• 1 Tablespoon (tbsp) sweet paprika
• 1 Teaspoon (tsp) dried basil
• 1 Teaspoon (tsp) dried marjoram
• 0.25 Teaspoon (tsp) salt
• 0.125 Teaspoon (tsp) black pepper, ground
• 0.125 Teaspoon (tsp) caraway seed
• 1 Pinch cayenne pepper
• 5 Cups beef stock
• 1 Cup canned diced tomatoes
• 0.5 Ounces (oz) dried mushrooms
• 2 Tablespoons (tbsp) canned tomato paste
• 1 Dash hot pepper sauce
• 1 Dash Worcestershire sauce

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add kielbasa and bacon; cook and stir until 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.
3. Coat 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 pork to the casserole.
4. Add cabbage, carrots, onion, fresh mushrooms, and garlic to the pot. Add in sauerkraut. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Do not let the vegetables brown.
5. Deglaze the pan by pouring in red wine and stirring to loosen all of the bits of food and flour that are stuck to the bottom. Season with bay leaf, paprika, basil, marjoram, salt, pepper, caraway seed, and cayenne; cook for 1 minute.
6. Mix in beef stock, tomatoes, dried mushrooms, tomato paste, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Heat through just until boiling. Pour vegetables and all of the liquid into the casserole dish with meat. Cover with a lid.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until meat is very tender, 2½ to 3 hours.

Enjoy this comforting and flavorful stew that gets better with each reheating!