Bigos

• 1/4 pound bacon or salt pork, roughly chopped
• 1/4 pound sausage, optional
• 1 1/2 pounds not-too-lean beef chuck or brisket, cut into small cubes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 pounds sauerkraut, fresh or packaged in plastic
• 1 ounce dried black mushrooms, soaked and sliced, liquid reserved
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup Madeira or other sweet wine

1. Heat a Dutch oven or heavy flameproof casserole with a lid over medium-high heat and add the bacon.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the fat is rendered, then add the sausage if youre using it and the meat and brown.
3. Remove the bacon, sausage, and meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. Lower the heat to medium and cook the onion in the fat, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the sauerkraut,mushrooms, mushroom liquid, caraway seeds, pepper, and sugar.
6. Stir to combine and add just enough water to barely cover.
7. Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Return the meat to the pan and add the wine.
9. Cover and simmer for an hour, or until the meat is tender (lamb, pork, and veal will probably take longer than beef).
10. Serve or cool to room temperature and refrigerate, then reheat before serving.
11. Omit the sauerkraut from step 2 and substitute one 2-pound head of fresh cabbage, cored and thinly sliced, 3 tablespoons white vinegar, and 2 tart apples, peeled and sliced.
12. For a sweeter stew, substitute 1/2 pound diced pitted prunes for the dried mushrooms.
13. You do not need to soak the prunes.
14. Add them to the bigos when you would have added the mushrooms.

bacon, sausage, brisket, onion, sauerkraut, black mushrooms, caraway seeds, black pepper, sugar, madeira

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/bigos-386274 (may not work)