Bigos (Polish Hunter’s Stew)

Pour hot tap water over the dried mushrooms and submerge them for 20 to 40 minutes, or until soft.

Grind or crush the juniper berries (if using) and black peppercorns roughly; you don’t want a powder.

Cut the pork shoulder into large chunks, about 2 inches and set aside.

Cut the sausages into similar-sized chunks and set aside.

Drain the sauerkraut and set aside.

Drain the mushrooms, straining the soaking liquid through a fine mesh sieve. Set the soaking liquid aside. Clean off any dirt from the soaked mushrooms and cut them into large pieces; leave small ones whole.

In a large lidded pot, heat the bacon fat or vegetable oil for a minute or two. Working in batches if necessary, brown the pork shoulder over medium-high heat. Do not crowd the pan. Set the browned meat aside.

Put the onion and fresh cabbage into the pot and sauté for a few minutes, stirring often, until the cabbage is soft. Sprinkle a little salt over them. The vegetables will give off plenty of water. When they do, use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.

If you are making the tomato-based version, add the tomato paste here. Once the pot is scraped and the cabbage and onions soft, remove from the pot and set aside with the pork shoulder.

Add the fresh mushrooms and cook them without any additional oil, stirring often, until they release their water. Once they do, sprinkle a little salt on the mushrooms.

When the water is nearly all gone, add back the pork shoulder, the cabbage-and-onion mixture. Then, add the ham hock, kielbasa, optional Polish sausage, drained sauerkraut, caraway seeds, marjoram, ground peppercorns, and juniper (if using).

Add the beer, if using, or the tomato sauce if you're making the tomato-based version. Stir well to combine.

You should not have enough liquid to submerge everything. That’s good: Bigos is a “dry” stew, and besides, the ingredients will give off more liquid as they cook. Bring everything to a simmer, cover the pot and cook gently for at least 2 hours.

Bigos is better the longer it cooks, but you can eat it once the ham hock falls apart. Check at 2 hours, and then every 30 minutes after that.

When the hock is tender, fish it out and pull off the meat and fat from the bones. Discard the bones and the fat, then chop the meat roughly and return to the pot. Add the soaked dried mushroom, strained mushroom soaking liquid, and prunes (if using), and cook until they are tender, at least 30 more minutes.

Bigos is best served simply, with rye bread and a beer. If you want a little kick, add the mustard (or horseradish) right before you eat it.

Bigos improves with age, too, which is why this recipe makes so much. Your leftovers will be even better the next day.