BIGOS (Hunter's Stew)
About:
Bigos, the classic Polish dish, is the ultimate comfort food. Just as the American cook tinkers with endless variations of chili, every Polish cook adjusts the original Bigos recipe based on available ingredients. This combination of ham, sausage, sauerkraut, vegetables, and even fruit is hearty and rich. Kielbasa is traditional, but any smoked sausage will work. Serve with crusty bread, noodles, or potatoes.


The secret of Bigos is that it gets better as it's reheated. The more it heated the better it gets. Serve with good bread.

4 lbs sauerkraut
1 cup apple juice
1 lb smoked pork
1 lb spareribs
1/4 lb bacon
1 can tomatoes (large)
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
black pepper
salt
4 lbs cabbage
1 lb pork loin chop or pork ribs
1 lb smoked kielbasa (sausage)
1/2 cup onions (chopped)
16 ounces mushrooms (fresh)
1 ounce mushrooms (dried)
2 tablespoons flour

1. Brown pork and spareribs in a large heavy pot.
2. Add smoked pork with 1 cup of water and simmer until 1 hour.
3. Add the sauerkraut and one cup apple juice.
4. Chop the cabbage fine and add to sauerkraut.
5. Add lots of pepper and salt cover and simmer 1 hour.
6. Remove lid and keep pot on a very low simmer.
7. In a pan, fry bacon until crisp, then crumble into sauerkraut mixture.
8. Remove most of the bacon fat and fry onions and mushrooms and flour until they just brown.
9. Mix into sauerkraut mixture.
10. Cut kielbasa into slices add to sauerkraut mixture with the tomatoes.
11. Bring to a boil, simmer 30 minutes and serve hot.


Another recipe, perhaps more readable

1/2 ounce Dried black mushrooms
2 pounds Sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
2 Apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2 cups Tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1/4 pound Bacon, diced
1 pound Ham with bone, pork spareribs, or pork rib roast
1 pound Polish sausage (Kielbasa), sliced
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 Bay leaf
6 cups Beef stock
2 tablespoons Mustard
Sea Salt to taste
Black pepper, freshly ground to taste

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Directions:
Soak mushrooms in warm water until softened, about 20 minutes. Remove tough stems. Cook sauerkraut and mushrooms with soaking liquid in a large stewpot over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add apples and tomatoes, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a sauté pan, brown onions with bacon. Add to the sauerkraut mixture. Add ham and Polish sausage to the pot. Finally, stir in the sugar, bay leaf, beef stock, and peppercorns. Simmer for 1 hour. Season with mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.