Pork Bigos ‘Hunters Stew’

Ingredients

700 gm Pork Belly

150 gm Meaty Speck

1 (250 gm) Torunska Sausage

1 tbls Olive Oil

1 Brown Onion

1½ tsp Caraway Seeds

2 Bay Leaves

2 tbls Fresh Marjoram

50 gm Butter

500 gm Green Cabbage

500 gm Sauerkraut

2 tbls Tomato Paste

1 Cup Prunes, pitted

20 gm Dried Porcini Mushrooms

2-3 Cups Beef or Chicken Stock

1 tsp Cracked Black Pepper

Method

To make the Bigos, first prepare all of the ingredients, remove the rind from the pork belly and cut into (approximately) 3 cm cubes, remove the rind from the meaty speck and cut into 1 cm cubes and cut the Torunska sausage into slices about 1 cm thick.

Dice the brown onion, slice the green cabbage, cut the prunes in halves and rinse the dried porcini mushrooms under cold running water to remove any grit.

Heat a large heavy based saucepan over a medium heat, add the olive oil and brown the pork belly pieces, you may need to do this in batches, remove from pan and set aside. Next fry the meaty speck until golden brown, remove from pan and set aside. Lastly fry the Torunska slices until golden brown, remove from the pan and set aside along with the other meats.

Add the butter and onion to the pan along with the caraway seeds, bay leaves and fresh marjoram. Sauté until the onions have softened, add the green cabbage, cook for a few minutes then add the sauerkraut and tomato paste.

Return the pork belly, meaty speck and Torunska sausage to the pan along with any juices, add the prunes, porcini mushrooms, chicken stock and black pepper, stir well and allow to come to a simmer. Place the lid on and gently simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve on its own or with mashed potatoes or crusty bread

Cook’s Tip

Bigos always tastes better the next day! The pork belly maybe substituted for pork neck or shoulder.

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