Bigos (Hunter's Stew)

Ingredients

• 2bacon, rashers, sliced
• 1 lbkielbasa, Polish sausage, sliced
• 1 lbpork, shoulder or butt, cubed
• 1/4 cupplain flour, for dusting the pork
• 3 clovegarlic, chopped
• 1onion, diced
• carrots
• 1 1/2 cupmushrooms, fresh, sliced
• dried mushrooms
• 4 cupcabbage, shredded
• sauerkraut, 1 jar (approx 700g)
• 1/4 cupred wine
• 1 leafbay leaf
• 1 tspdried basil
• 1 tspmarjoram, dried
• 1 tbsppaprika
• 1/8 tspcaraway seeds
• cayenne pepper, to taste
• hot sauce, a dash
• worcestershire sauce, a dash
• 5 cupbeef stock
• 2 tbsptomato purée
• 1 cupdiced tomatoes, canned

Method

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 175C (350F).

2. 2

   Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and kielbasa; cook and stir until the bacon has rendered its fat and the sausage is lightly browned. Transfer to a large casserole or Dutch oven with a slotted spoon.

3. 3

   Lightly coat the pork cubes with flour. Fry in the bacon drippings over medium-high heat until golden brown, then transfer to the casserole.

4. 4

   Add the garlic, onion, carrots, fresh mushrooms, cabbage and sauerkraut to the pot. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Do not let the vegetables brown.

5. 5

   Pour in the red wine to deglaze, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Season with bay leaf, basil, marjoram, paprika, salt, pepper, caraway seeds and cayenne; cook for 1 minute.

6. 6

   Add the dried mushrooms, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, tomato purée and diced tomatoes. Bring just to the boil, then pour everything into the casserole with the meat. Cover with a lid.

7. 7

   Bake in the oven for 2½ to 3 hours until the meat is very tender.