Bigos (Hunter's Stew) with Rye Bread

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork shoulder
• ½ lb smoked sausage (kielbasa)
• 4 oz bacon
• 28 oz sauerkraut
• ½ head fresh cabbage
• 1 onion
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms
• ¼ cup dried prunes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tsp juniper berries (optional)
• ½ tsp caraway seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 slices rye bread (optional)

Steps

1. Cut pork shoulder into 1-inch cubes. Slice bacon into lardons, kielbasa into half-moons, and chop onion. Shred fresh cabbage and slice mushrooms.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside, leaving rendered fat in the pot. Brown pork cubes in the bacon fat, then remove and set aside.
3. Add onion to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, paprika, salt, and pepper, cooking for 1 minute. Deglaze with red wine, scraping up any browned bits.
4. Add sauerkraut (drained), shredded fresh cabbage, browned pork, kielbasa, mushrooms, prunes, bay leaves, juniper berries (if using), caraway seeds (if using), and beef broth to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meats are tender and flavors have melded. For best flavor, bigos can be cooked for 30 minutes, cooled, and reheated the next day.
6. Stir in the reserved crispy bacon just before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
7. Serve hot with slices of hearty rye bread.