The Recipe · No.734 · Bigos

Bigos, and Where to Source It

Name: Bigos
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: Sauerkraut (2 lb); Kielbasa and pork (2 lb total); Cabbage (1/2 head); Dried mushrooms (1 oz); Prunes (1/2 cup)

Bigos is famously better on the second and third day, and it earns that by long, slow cooking and reheating: the sauerkraut's sharpness has to mellow and marry with the browned meats over hours, and a few dried mushrooms and prunes add the smoky-sweet depth. Rushed in one short simmer it tastes raw and one-note.

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Published July 2026 · Sourcing verified 5 Jul 2026

Prep30 min

Cook2 hr 30 min

Makes8 servings

CuisinePolish

Part One

The Ingredients — and where to get them

Sauerkraut

The sour backbone, rinsed if very sharp; it mellows over the long cook. A live, barrel-cured kraut has real depth.

2 lb

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Kielbasa and pork

Smoked kielbasa plus a chunk of pork shoulder for body. A real butcher kielbasa carries the smoke.

2 lb total

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Cabbage

Fresh white cabbage shredded in to balance the sauerkraut. Fresh, bought local.

1/2 head

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Dried mushrooms

Soaked and chopped for a deep, woodsy note. A little goes a long way.

1 oz

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Prunes

A handful for a smoky-sweet undertone that rounds the whole pot.

1/2 cup

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One list, with a link to where to buy each one.

Part Two

The Method

Brown the meatsBrown the pork and kielbasa hard to build flavor, then set aside.
Start the krautSoften onion, add sauerkraut, cabbage, soaked mushrooms, and their liquid.
Simmer low and longReturn the meats with prunes and bay and simmer very low, at least 2 hours, stirring now and then.
Rest and reheatCool and reheat the next day for the deepest flavor. Serve with dark bread and potatoes.

Part Three

The Toolkit

Dutch oven · Wooden spoon · Skillet

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