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| Bigos, pierogi, and salad |
Let's face facts, 2016 was not a very good year. We had a terribly divisive election, mass shootings, a worldwide refugee crisis and many Hollywood icons died. It's time to do something to make sure that 2017 turns out better. The best thing we can do is to eat Sauerkraut on New Year's Day which is a long-held Pennsylvania Dutch tradition that's believed to bring good luck throughout the upcoming year. Bigos is a wonderful stew made from sauerkraut.
Bigos—Hunter's Stew (The Polish national Dish)
This recipe comes from the Bigos Bar website first developed by Mike Oborski, the honorary consul of the Republic of Poland in Kidderminister, England. Rick Podowski likes this dish with a glass of Syrah because the boldness of the dish is complemented by the boldness of the wine.
More information about rick's love of this dish can be found in Murder Before The Bell
Serves 4 (This recipe can be doubled or tripled)
1 lb. sauerkraut
1/2 lb. ham with bone, pork spareribs pork rib roast, or chicken
1 bay leaves
1/2 ounce. dried mushrooms, chopped
1/2 onion chopped and sautéed in butter
5 black peppercorns
3 allspice berries
1/4-teaspoon salt
4 cups beef broth,
1 lbs. green cabbage chopped like sauerkraut
1 tablespoons butter or margarine
l pound of Polish Kiełbasa
1 chopped onion
1 chopped onion
Rinse sauerkraut with cold water and drain well. In a large stockpot, combine sauerkraut, ham or pork, bay leaves, mushrooms, peppercorns, allspice and salt. Add 2 cups of broth, bouillon, or water. Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes over medium heat. Cover and simmer over low heat 45 minutes. Remove meat and let it cool.
Place cabbage in a large saucepan. Add remaining 2 cups broth, bouillon, or water. Bring to boil. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat, 1 hour or until cabbage is tender. Add to sauerkraut mixture. Bone the cooked meat. Cut cooked meat into 1/2-inch cubes.
Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet. Add cooked meat and Kiełbasa. Sauté over medium heat 10 minutes or until browned. Add to sauerkraut mixture. Also, add the onion. Cover and cook over low heat 1 hour or longer. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve hot.
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| Bigos, pierogi and salad--delicious! |
The secret of old-time Bigos is that it gets better as it's reheated on successive days, peaking at the 6th or 7th day. In between, store covered in the refrigerator.