Bigos
Description
The recipe won't take much time. Bigos, a stewed cabbage dish with meat, is very popular in many Eastern European countries. As far as I know, bigos originated in Poland, but later spread to neighboring countries—Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and the Czech Republic. In Poland, bigos is traditionally served on the second day of Christmas. Ingredients for bigos vary from region to region, but here I will provide a classic recipe. Serve hot.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare all the necessary ingredients.
- 2
Step 2
Cut the meat into cubes about 1.5 by 1.5 cm in size. Sear the meat cubes in vegetable oil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. We don't need to cook the meat thoroughly—just sear it until it forms a crust.
- 3
Step 3
Take a large pot, transfer the meat along with the rendered fat into it. Add bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Place over low heat and cover with a lid.
- 4
Step 4
Meanwhile, in another skillet, sauté the onion, sliced into half-rings, until soft.
- 5
Step 5
Add the coarsely grated carrots to the onion, mix well and cook for another 5 minutes.
- 6
Step 6
Then add sauerkraut (without liquid) to the pan. Mix and cook for another 10 minutes.
- 7
Step 7
Add the resulting vegetable mixture to the pot with the meat, which is still on low heat (if there is very little oil left, add more to prevent the meat from burning).
- 8
Step 8
Shred the white cabbage coarsely and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes in a separate frying pan.
- 9
Step 9
Add the white cabbage to the pot with the other ingredients and mix everything well.
- 10
Step 10
Cover the pot with a lid and simmer over medium heat for about 1 hour. The meat should be fully cooked and the cabbage tender.
- 11
Step 11
:)