Bigos from the Vilnius region
A stew of sauerkraut and fresh cabbage with smoked bacon, sausage, other meats and onion. Makes approximately 8 servings; the 35 minutes of hands-on preparation are an estimate.
This version of bigos, documented in the Vilnius region, combines sauerkraut slowly cooked in its own juices with fresh cabbage and several browned meats. Allow about 4 hours of cooking: 3 hours for the sauerkraut, then 1 more hour after combining the ingredients. The yield and hands-on preparation time are estimates based on the quantities and steps.
Ingredient allergens
Allergen listThere are no verified associations for these ingredients yet.
Method
- 01
Cook the sauerkraut
Put the sauerkraut in a large pot and cook it over low heat in its own juices for 180 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Ready to continue when: The sauerkraut is very tender after the slow cooking.
180 min - 02
Soften the fresh cabbage
While the sauerkraut cooks, put the chopped fresh cabbage in another pot and cover it with the 500 ml of boiling water. Cook over low heat until tender.
Ready to continue when: The fresh cabbage is tender and a fork passes through it easily.
- 03
Brown the meats and onion
While the cabbages cook, fry the smoked bacon and sausage in a pan until they begin to brown. Add the assorted meat and brown it on the outside; add the chopped onion and cook a little longer, until softened.
Ready to continue when: The meats are browned on the outside and the onion has softened.
- 04
Combine and finish the stew
When the fresh cabbage is tender, add it to the pot of sauerkraut along with the meats and onion. Cook everything over low heat for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally and reaching down to the bottom of the pot.
Ready to continue when: Both cabbages are tender and the stew has simmered gently for 60 minutes.
60 min
Ingredients
Sources and review
Content researched, cross-checked and automatically validated. Sources consulted:
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State: Published after documentary validation; no “Tested” label is shown.