Preparation
- Heat the lard in a large pot and brown the bacon and pork chunks well; season with pepper and a little salt. Go easy on the salt, as the sauerkraut is salty in itself.
- Add the onions and the sliced sausage and brown them as well.
- Stir in the sauerkraut and white cabbage, add the bay leaves, allspice, juniper, paprika and caraway, and fry everything hard once more.
- Mix the tomato purée with the red wine and stock, pour it over the contents of the pot and fold in the prunes. The cabbage releases its own juices as it braises; if it gets too dry, add a little more wine or stock.
- Cover and braise over low heat for about 2 hours, stirring now and then, until the meat is tender and the cabbage is soft.
- Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Serve with fresh rye bread or boiled potatoes; reheated the next day, bigos tastes even better.
Drink with it
Vodka · excellent match
Polish rye or potato vodka, ice cold, neat in a small glass
The classic Polish pairing: the ice-cold, clear sip clears bacon fat and cabbage acidity from the palate, and the grain or potato character holds its own beside juniper and smoked sausage.
What Is Vodka? Raw Materials, Flavor, and CocktailsHerbal liqueur · excellent match
Bitter herbal liqueur, such as a Polish digestive bitter, neat after the meal
The juniper, allspice and caraway in the pot echo in the bitter herbs; as a finish, it lifts the heaviness of bacon, sausage and cabbage.
What is Amaro? Understanding Italian bitter liqueursDark beer · good match
Baltic porter or dark lager
Roasted malt and dark fruit notes pick up the smoked bacon and prunes, and the malt sweetness cushions the sourness of the cabbage.
Which beer goes with food? More than just pils with barbecueWhite wine · good match
Riesling, dry to off-dry
Firm acidity and a little fruit stand up to the sauerkraut, but against the smoky notes and the red wine sauce it feels lighter than with a plain sauerkraut dish.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing