Bigos. The Delicious Polish Stew That Will Seriously Boost Your Gut Health

A recipe that is steeped in years of Polish history and delivers a massive boost to you gut health

The Best Kept Secret of Bigos

If you’ve ever been to Poland, chances are you will have seen bigos on the menu. Alongside the more famous pierogi, bigos is a well-known and well-loved dish by many Poles. And it’s also the best kept secret in Poland.

There is a reason why in many polish villages, many people live to 100yrs and this it. Bigos is made with sauerkraut which is fermented cabbage. It is packed with healthy probiotics that your gut and body absolutely thrives on. Gut health is crucial to living a long and healthy life.

The Ingredients for Bigos

When buying your sauerkraut, your sauerkraut should only have two ingredients: salt and cabbage. If it has anything else, like vinegar, put it back on the shelf. Sauerkraut with commercial vinegar in it, has absolutely zero health benefits. If you can’t find sauerkraut that is only salt and cabbage, simply make your own. Here is great recipe, authentic and simple. You can have homemade, delicious sauerkraut in 7 days.

There are thousands of recipes for bigos, and every Polish household has their favourite. Many have polish sausage (kielbasa), mushroom, juniper berries, or game meat. You can definitely add any or all of these, but if you want to make a delicious hearty, bigos without having to hunt around for specialised ingredients, try the recipe below. It gives you that perfect, vinegary, sour hit of bigos that makes it utterly delicious! And your gut bacteria will be singing a happy song of joy!

Bigos Recipe

1.5kg beef shin on the bone (eg. oxtail)

1 kg sauerkraut

1 kg fresh, chopped tomatoes (with skins)

3 onions, chopped (approx 500g)

3 bay leaves

10 peppercorns

1 teaspoon salt

150g – 200g of streaky bacon, chopped

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Day 1

1. Season the meat lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Brown the meat in batches in oil.
3. Brown the bacon in the same pot.
4. Add all the meat back into the pot.
5. Add sauerkraut, onions, tomatoes and mix well.
6. Add bay leaves, peppercorns, lemon juice and cover with water.
7. Leave on a very slow simmer for 2hrs.
8. Turn it off the heat, and leave it on the stove top to cool overnight.

Day 2

1. Simmer again on a slow simmer for 2hrs.
2. Turn it off the heat, and leave it on the stop top to cool overnight.

Day 3

1. Heat up the bigos thoroughly. Today is the day we eat!
2. Try the bigos. If it needs more salt or pepper, add it. If it needs to be more acidic, add more lemon juice.
3. Enjoy your meal!

Smacznego!

Bigos keeps well in the fridge for around 5 days. Getting stronger and better flavoured each day. It also freezes very well. This recipe makes a large batch, but it’s easy to portion out and freeze for later.