Chefs Binge · Polish · Serves 6 servings
Bigos Hultajski in Slow Cooker
The sharper of my two bigos: undrained sauerkraut, beef and smoked kielbasa, with potatoes, carrot and garlic cooking in the pot so it arrives as a whole dinner.
Prep
30 min
Cook
6 hrs
Total
6 hrs 30 min
Serves
6 servings
Per serving
350 kcal
Ingredients
400 g Beef, stewing cut - cut into large dice (chuck, brisket, round steak, or short ribs)
400 g Kielbasa - Polish smoked sausage
500 g Sauerkraut
4 Potatoes, medium size - halved, skin on
1 Large Carrot - peeled and diced
1 Large Onion - diced
1 Garlic clove
250 ml Beef Stock
250 ml Beer
2 Bay Leaves
4 Juniper Berries
1 tsp Marjoram
1 tsp Caraway
1 tbsp Honey - (add enough to your taste to balance the sourness)
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
Equipment
Slow Cooker · Hybrid Non Stick Frying Pan
Method
1
Searing the Beef. Heat a frying pan over high heat and sear the diced beef until browned. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker, leaving the fat in the pan.
2
Browning the Sausage. Add sliced sausage to the same pan and continue frying until browned, then transfer it to the slow cooker.
3
Sautéing the Vegetables. In the same pan, sear the diced onions, carrots, and garlic until they are softened and lightly browned. Transfer them to the slow cooker as well.
4
Combining Ingredients and Cooking. Add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir well to combine. Cover with a lid and set the slow cooker to high heat for 6 hours. After the first hour, give it a good stir and repeat every hour or so to distribute the flavours.
5
Serving and Storage Recommendations. When the Bigos is ready, remove the bay leaves and serve hot with buttered sourdough bread.
6
Reheating on Day Two. Day two is better again. Let it cool, cover it and refrigerate it overnight, then reheat it on the hob until it is bubbling right through before serving. It keeps in the fridge for up to four days. Do not reheat it from cold in the slow cooker, which takes too long to bring it up to temperature.
Recipe © Chef Łukasz Babral · chefsbinge.com · for personal use only
chefsbinge.com/bigos-hultajski-in-slow-cooker
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