Polish National Dishes

Bigos wielkopolski: Greater Poland Cabbage and Pork Stew

Bigos wielkopolski is a regional version of Poland's slow-cooked cabbage stew. It combines sauerkraut with fresh white cabbage, pork shoulder, smoked bacon and two kinds of smoked sausage. Dried mushrooms and plums add earthy and gently sweet notes, while dry red wine, garlic and marjoram deepen the savory base.

Polish National Dishes
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A wide view of „Bigos wielkopolski: Greater Poland Cabbage and Pork Stew“ arranged on a table for serving.
Yield 10 servings
Serving basis one tenth of the finished bigos, about 380 g per serving depending on reduction
Prep time 45 minutes
Cook time 5 hours
Ingredients ↓
Recipe at a glance

Bigos wielkopolski: Greater Poland Cabbage and Pork Stew

Bigos wielkopolski is a regional version of Poland's slow-cooked cabbage stew. It combines sauerkraut with fresh white cabbage, pork shoulder, smoked bacon and two kinds of smoked sausage. Dried mushrooms and plums add earthy and gently sweet notes, while dry red wine, garlic and marjoram deepen the savory base.

The Polish Ministry of Agriculture's Traditional Products List records the dish in Wielkopolskie Voivodeship and describes a fairly thick mixture with visible meat, sausage, mushrooms and plums. It identifies tomato paste, garlic and marjoram as characteristic seasonings of the Wielkopolska version. A regional tourism cookbook gives a larger household formula with similar ingredients and a long, slow simmer; this measured home version scales that ingredient pattern to ten portions.

Bigos varies from household to household, so this recipe is one practical regional interpretation rather than a single canonical formula. Braise the pork until it is fork-tender, soften both cabbages, then let everything simmer together until the sauce is thick and the meat and fruit remain visible. The stew can be served the day it is made, and its flavor develops further after chilling and reheating.

Tips for success

Tips for success

  • Drain the sauerkraut well; rinse it briefly only if it tastes unusually salty or sharp.
  • Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water and strain the liquid through a fine sieve to remove grit before adding it to the cabbage.
  • Brown the pork in batches so it colors instead of steaming.
  • Keep the braise at a gentle simmer; a hard boil can dry the pork before it becomes tender.
  • Stir the bigos every 20–30 minutes during the long final simmer, scraping the base of the pot.
  • Add the whole dried plums for the final 30 minutes so they soften without disappearing into the stew.
  • Taste for salt only near the end because sauerkraut, bacon and smoked sausages already contribute salt.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Cabbage and mushrooms

  • 750 g sauerkraut, drained; rinse briefly only if very salty
  • 400 g fresh white cabbage, cored and thinly shredded
  • 50 g dried mushrooms
  • 500 ml boiling water for soaking the mushrooms

Pork and sausages

  • 500 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3 cm cubes
  • 175 g smoked pork bacon, diced
  • 175 g well-smoked pork sausage, sliced
  • 175 g juniper-smoked pork sausage, sliced

Wine, vegetables and fruit

  • 150 ml dry red wine
  • 2 l arge yellow onions, diced, about 300 g total
  • 60 g whole pitted dried plums
  • 15 g tomato paste
  • 2 g arlic cloves, finely grated, about 6 g
  • 15 ml neutral oil
  • 400 ml water for braising the pork

Seasoning

  • 30 ml dried marjoram
  • 10 allspice berries
  • 5 bay leaves
  • 8 g fine salt, then adjust only after simmering
  • 2 g freshly ground black pepper
Method

Method

Directions

  1. Soak the mushrooms.Pour 500 ml boiling water over 50 g dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl. Leave for 30 minutes. Lift out the mushrooms, rinse away any grit, chop them, then strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve both.

  2. Brown and braise the pork.Season 500 g pork cubes with 4 g salt and half the pepper. Heat 15 ml oil in an 8 L heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in batches on several sides, about 8–10 minutes total. Add 400 ml water, cover, lower to a gentle simmer and braise for 75–90 minutes until fork-tender and at least 63 °C at the center. Remove the pork and braising liquid; rest the meat for 3 minutes, then shred it into bite-size pieces and reserve the liquid.

  3. Simmer the sauerkraut.While the pork braises, drain 750 g sauerkraut and prepare the remaining ingredients. Once the pot is free, add the sauerkraut, 150 ml red wine, strained mushroom liquid, 10 allspice berries and 5 bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  4. Add the fresh cabbage.Stir in 400 g shredded fresh cabbage. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until it begins to soften.

  5. Brown the smoked meats and onion.In a 28 cm frying pan over medium heat, cook 175 g diced bacon for 6–8 minutes until its fat renders. Add 175 g of each sliced smoked sausage and 2 diced onions. Cook 8–10 minutes until the onions soften and the sausage edges brown. Stir in 15 g tomato paste and cook for 1 minute until it darkens slightly.

  6. Combine and simmer slowly.Add the bacon, sausages, onion and tomato paste to the cabbage. Stir in the shredded pork, reserved braising liquid, chopped mushrooms, 2 grated garlic cloves, 30 ml marjoram, remaining 4 g salt and remaining pepper. Cover and simmer very gently for 120 minutes, stirring every 20–30 minutes. Add a small splash of water only if the bottom begins to catch.

  7. Finish with plums and check the texture.Add 60 g whole pitted dried plums for the final 30 minutes. The bigos is ready when the cabbage is very tender, the meat is soft and the thick sauce coats a spoon, while mushrooms and plums remain visible. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt only now.

  8. Serve.Divide the hot stew into 10 portions, about 380 g each depending on how much it reduced.

Nutrition and allergens

Nutrition and allergens

  • Energyabout 470 kcal per serving
  • Proteinabout 24 g
  • Fatabout 27 g
  • Carbohydrateabout 24 g
  • Fibreabout 5 g
  • Sodiumabout 1,450 mg
  • Estimate basisone tenth of all listed ingredients; estimated from generic food-composition data, with substantial sodium variation by sauerkraut, bacon and sausage brand

Contains pork in the shoulder, bacon and sausages. Dry red wine may contain sulfites; check its label if sulfites are a concern. Keep raw pork separate from cooked sausage and ready-to-eat food, wash hands and equipment after handling it, and cook the pork to at least 63 °C at the center. Cool the finished stew promptly and reheat leftovers to 74 °C throughout.

Nutrition and allergens

Nutrition and allergens

Serving, storage and reheating: Serve the bigos hot as a substantial main dish. The sauce should be thick rather than brothy, with pieces of pork, smoked sausage, mushrooms and plums visible in the cabbage. The recipe is filling on its own; serve bread separately only if desired.

Serving, storage and reheating: Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep them at or below 4 °C and use within 3–4 days. Reheat only the amount you need until the whole portion reaches 74 °C. Do not leave the cooked stew at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Serving, storage and reheating: For make-ahead cooking, prepare the bigos a day ahead, cool it promptly and refrigerate it. Reheat it gently in a covered pot, stirring regularly and adding a little water if it has thickened too much. The wine remains an ingredient after simmering; cooking does not guarantee that all alcohol is removed.

Contains pork in the shoulder, bacon and sausages. Dry red wine may contain sulfites; check its label if sulfites are a concern. Keep raw pork separate from cooked sausage and ready-to-eat food, wash hands and equipment after handling it, and cook the pork to at least 63 °C at the center. Cool the finished stew promptly and reheat leftovers to 74 °C throughout.

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