Bigos (Hunters Stew)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Heat a large pot over medium heat, add the bacon and kielbasa, and cook, stirring, until the bacon has rendered its fat and the sausage is lightly browned, then lift out with a slotted spoon into a large casserole or Dutch oven.
3. Lightly coat the pork cubes in flour and fry in the bacon drippings over medium-high heat until golden brown, then transfer to the casserole with a slotted spoon.
4. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, fresh mushrooms, cabbage and sauerkraut, lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until the carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Keep the vegetables from browning.
5. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up any stuck-on bits, then season with the bay leaf, basil, marjoram, paprika, salt, pepper, caraway seeds and cayenne, and cook for 1 minute.
6. Stir in the dried mushrooms, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, tomato paste and tomatoes, and bring just to the boil, then pour everything into the casserole with the meat and cover.
7. Bake for 2½ to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

• Get a proper brown on the meats before they go in the pot. Those caramelised edges build the savoury backbone of the whole stew.
• Soften the cabbage and sauerkraut but stop short of browning them; they just need to wilt before the long, slow bake.
• Low and slow in the oven is what draws all the separate ingredients together into one rounded flavour.
• Cook it a day or two ahead if you can. Bigos genuinely improves each time it is reheated.