Old-Polish Three-Meat Bigos with Porcini

Method

1. Soak the porcini in the hot water for 30 min, then lift them out and chop finely; strain the liquid through a sieve lined with kitchen paper to remove grit. Meanwhile cut the pork and beef into 2.5 cm pieces, pat them very dry with kitchen paper and salt lightly. Cut the bacon into 1 cm batons and the sausage into 1 cm half-moons, and dice the onion. Taste the sauerkraut, rinse and squeeze once if very sour, then cut into 3 cm lengths. Shred the cabbage into 5 mm strips and coarsely grate the apple, skin and all. Heat the oven to 160 °C.

   Add in this stepDried porcini 15 gHot water (for soaking) 250 mlSalt to taste

2. Melt the lard in an ovenproof 22 cm cast-iron pot and cook the bacon on medium heat for 6 min until crisp, then lift it out. Turn up to medium-high heat, lay the pork and beef in a single layer with space between the pieces and sear for 10 min until deep brown on all sides, then lift out. If they don't all fit, sear in batches. This brown crust is where the depth of flavour comes from.

   Add in this stepLard 1½ tbspSmoked streaky bacon (slab) 80 gPork shoulder (in one piece) 200 gBeef brisket or chuck 150 g

   medium heat→medium-high heat

3. In the same pot, brown the sausage on medium heat for 4 min until the edges colour, then turn down to medium-low heat, add the onion and cook for 7 min until golden. For the last minute, stir in the tomato paste and let it darken.

   Add in this stepSmoked sausage (kiełbasa) 140 gOnion 1Tomato paste 1½ tbsp

   medium heat→medium-low heat

4. Pour in the wine and boil on medium-high heat for 3 min, scraping every brown bit off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Stop when the wine has reduced by half and no longer smells of alcohol.

   Add in this stepDry red wine 150 ml

   medium-high heat

5. Return the meats and bacon, then add the sauerkraut, cabbage, grated apple, porcini with their strained liquid, prunes, plum butter, bay, allspice and lightly crushed juniper, and mix well. Bring to the boil on medium-high heat for 5 min, cover and braise in the oven preheated to 160 °C for 2 h 15 min. Take it out once halfway to stir from the bottom, adding a little water if it looks dry.

   Add in this stepSauerkraut 300 gWhite cabbage 200 gTart apple ½Prunes (smoked if you can find them) 5Thick plum butter (Polish powidła) 2 tbspBay leaves 2Whole allspice berries 4Juniper berries 5

   medium-high heat→oven

6. Move the pot from the oven to the hob, uncover, rub in the marjoram and reduce on low heat for 20 min. When there is almost no liquid left, everything is a glossy mahogany and the beef splits easily with a fork, season with salt and pepper.

   Add in this stepDried marjoram 1½ tspSalt to tasteFreshly ground black pepper to taste

   low heat

7. Cool completely and let it mature in the fridge overnight; in Poland it is said to improve with every reheating over 2 or 3 days. To serve, reheat on medium-low heat for 12 min, stirring, until piping hot all the way through, and serve with rye bread and cold sour cream or Dijon mustard.

   medium-low heat