Grandma's Bigos

Grandma's Bigos

I’m Swetlana, and when I was a little girl, I often stood by my grandmother’s side in her warm, fragrant kitchen. She was a tall woman with gentle eyes and a steady hand, and her bigos was legendary in our family. She lovingly called it "сердце нашего стола" (the heart of our table)—it was more than just a meal, it was a part of our family’s story.
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Making bigos was almost a sacred ritual for my grandmother. I remember her carefully slicing the cabbage, each piece evenly cut. As she worked, she told me stories from her youth, woven with life wisdom as varied as the ingredients in the bigos pot.
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A special moment was always when she added the prunes. My grandmother claimed this was the secret to a perfect bigos—the balance of sweetness and savoriness that made the dish complete. She taught me the exact moment to add the prunes so that they could release their full sweetness without overpowering the dish.

Today, when I cook bigos at Kozak Buvette, I feel her presence in the kitchen. Every ingredient, every stir, and every soft simmer takes me back to those days when I was still a child, standing at my grandmother’s kitchen table, always learning and listening. This dish is not just food to me; it is nostalgia, an unbreakable connection to my past, and a precious legacy.

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To prepare Grandma’s Bigos for 4 people, you’ll need the following ingredients:

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• 500 g sauerkraut
  
  
• 500 g white cabbage
  
  
• 2 carrots
  
  
• 2 onions
  
  
• Sunflower oil
  
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
  
• Black pepper
  
  
• 200 g chopped tomatoes
  
  
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
  
  
• 200 g bacon
  
  
• 2 tbsp honey
  
  
• 500 g beef stew meat
  
  
• 200 g pitted prunes
  
  
• Mashed potatoes
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To ensure the bigos turns out perfectly, here’s a detailed cooking guide:

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1) Preparing the ingredients:

• Slice the white cabbage into strips.
  
  
• Grate the carrots coarsely.
  
  
• Finely chop the onions.
  
  
• Dice the bacon.
  
  
• Cut the beef stew meat into bite-sized pieces.
  
  
• Set the pitted prunes aside.
  
  

2) Sautéing the ingredients:

• Heat sunflower oil in a large pot and sauté the bacon until crispy.
  
  
• Add the chopped onions and sauté until translucent.
  
  
• Add the beef stew meat to the pot and sear it until browned.
  
  
• Add the grated carrots and sauté for a short time.
  
  

3) Adding the main ingredients:

• Add the sauerkraut, white cabbage, bay leaves, black pepper, chopped tomatoes, and tomato paste.
  
  
• Mix everything well.
  
  

4) Cooking the bigos:

• Cover the bigos with water and add the honey.
  
  
• Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat.
  
  
• Let the bigos simmer over low heat for about 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
  
  

5) Finalizing the bigos:

• Add the pitted prunes and let it simmer for another 30 minutes, until the meat is tender and the flavors are well blended.
  
  

6) Serving:

• Serve the bigos hot with mashed potatoes.

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The preparation time for Bigos with mashed potatoes is approximately 30 minutes, while the cooking time is about 2 hours.

Each serving of Bigos with mashed potatoes contains 610 calories.

We hope you enjoy making this delicious recipe! Alternatively, feel free to visit Kozak Buvette and savor Grandma's freshly made Bigos.

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