Bigos (Polish hunter's stew)
White cabbage, mushrooms and lard come together in this Polish beef — 80 minutes, 9 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 9 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 9 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (11)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Put the cabbage in a heavy casserole dish, add the stock and cook over a low heat for about 50 mins, until tender.
- Cut the soaked mushrooms into strips and save the soaking water. Heat the lard and fry the sausages and bacon, then scoop out, leaving the fat in the pan. Fry the onion in the same pan for 5-8 mins until lightly browned.
- Add the mushrooms and their liquid along with all the cooked meat, onions and prunes, then cover and cook for 20 mins.
- Add the spices, red wine and tomato purée and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 1 hr.
- Season well and leave to cool.
- Will keep covered and chilled for up to two days.
- Bigos improves in flavour over a couple of days.
- Leave to cool first.
- Reheat until piping hot before serving.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan
Watch how it's made
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Ingredient substitutions
- Red Wine
- beef stock + 1 tsp red wine vinegar · grape juice + vinegar
What to serve with Bigos (Polish hunter's stew)
Tips & common questions
How long does Bigos (Polish hunter's stew) take to make?
About 80 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 9 steps and 16 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of red wine?
Try beef stock + 1 tsp red wine vinegar. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
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Recipe data for Bigos (Polish hunter's stew) via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.