How to cook bigus from sauerkraut according to a step-by-step recipe with photos

Bigus is one of the famous dishes of Polish cuisine, which I tried when I was actually in Poland. I liked it so much that upon arriving home I started to find out how to prepare it, and found that there were quite a lot of recipes, but the main thing was that it contained sauerkraut and meat, and the rest was optional. Most often, fresh cabbage and smoked meats are added to bigus, but if they are not available, then it is completely possible to get by with other ingredients.

So watch how I prepare bigus from sauerkraut, choose your favorite recipe with a photo.

Bigus with meat and sauerkraut

Ingredients

Sauerkraut	600 g
Pork	700 g
Onion	1.5 pcs.
Prunes	105 g
Greenery	45 g
Tomato paste	4.5 tbsp. l.

Water	1.5 stack.
Vegetable oil	1.5 tbsp. l.

Manufacturing process

Cut 750 g pork into pieces.
Cut one and a half onions into half rings.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the meat until golden.
Add onion to the meat and fry for 10 minutes.
Pour one and a half glasses of water into the pan and simmer for about half an hour.

Video of a traditional recipe for making bigus from sauerkraut

To repeat the recipe again, watch the video, which shows how to prepare bigus from sauerkraut. The composition of photos, explanations and music is not annoying, but gives an accurate idea of the recipe.

Bigus with sauerkraut and fresh cabbage

Ingredients

Sauerkraut	2.5 stacks
Fresh cabbage	2/3 fork
Pork	450 g
Rice	1/3 cup
Carrot	1.5 pcs.
Onion	1.5 pcs.
Tomato paste	2-3 tsp.
Paprika	1 tbsp. l.

Dark pepper, bay leaf	taste
Vegetable oil	1-2 tbsp. l.
Water	300-350 ml

Manufacturing process

Shred 2/3 of the cabbage with a small fork. Finely chop one and a half onions and grate one and a half carrots. Cut 450 g of meat into pieces.
Pour a little oil into the bottom of the cauldron and fry the meat in it until golden brown.
Add onions and carrots and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Then add 2-3 teaspoons of paste, a tablespoon of paprika and pour in 200-250 ml of water. Stir and simmer for 20 minutes.
Then put 2.5 cups of sauerkraut and fresh shredded cabbage into the cauldron. Add water if necessary, stir and simmer for an hour with the lid closed.
After this, add a third of a glass of rice, a couple of bay leaves and pepper to taste.
Add water so that it lightly covers the rice and cook for another half hour.
Let the finished dish sit for a little while and you are ready to eat.

Video recipe for making bigus

The woman in this video not only shows the recipe itself, but also gives useful tips, so you should watch it. In addition, you can see what a delicious dish awaits you.

How and with what to serve

This dish {in itself} is real, so you don’t need to prepare anything for it. The only thing that can be served is the freshest bread, rolls and flatbread. There is no point in decorating it either, except perhaps sprinkle it with herbs when serving a portion to the table.

Some tips

If you have very sour cabbage, soak it first to balance the taste.
If there are a lot of carrots in sauerkraut, you can skip adding fresh ones.
To allow fresh cabbage to release its juice, add it with a small amount of salt and leave for a few minutes.

Other options

You can cook many dishes with sauerkraut or simply eat it ready-made. If you decide to try something new, then cook duck with sauerkraut, and you will immediately receive the most delicious meat and a beautiful side dish. Or make goose with sauerkraut if you have the meat of the bird given to us. If you are a fan of dishes with vegetables, then cook “meat with pumpkin” to get tender meat and a sweet, wonderful side dish for it. And if you only have a slow cooker at your disposal, then you can easily cook great French-style meat in a slow cooker. So cook, try and develop your culinary abilities.

Bigus from sauerkraut

Dishes of stewed cabbage with meat are widespread all over the world. In Poland and the Baltic countries they are prepared in a special way. These recipes are very popular because they allow you to create a dish with a unique taste. In Poland it is called bigus, and it is under this name that it is understood by most of our fellow citizens. The uniqueness of bigus is the presence of sourness, which most successfully sets off the taste of cabbage and meat. Thanks to this, the dish remains tasty even after it has cooled down - in this case it is served not as a main course, but as a cool snack. This sourness is imparted to the dish by sauerkraut, which is added as a complement to fresh cabbage or serves as the main ingredient. Bigus from sauerkraut is not difficult to prepare - even a novice cook can do this task if he knows a few fundamental points.

Individual manufacturing

In order for your bigus to come out similar to a unique Polish dish, and not just cabbage stewed with meat, you need to know the individuality of how this dish is made. The advice of experienced chefs will also help with this.

Meat is one of the main ingredients in bigus. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but it certainly has to be of high quality. Preference should be given to the freshest or chilled product, because during freezing and especially during thawing, the structure of the meat can change, which is why it becomes dry and tasteless. The meat of a young animal will be the most tender, and this should also be taken into account when choosing ingredients for bigus.
According to classical technology, meat for bigus is first fried in a frying pan and only later stewed together with cabbage. Lean meat should be fried in flavorless vegetable oil or lard. Fatty meat is purposefully fried without adding other fats.
Bigus will be given a pleasant smell by smoked meats and sausages, which are often included in its composition.
Sauerkraut is sour on its own. Therefore, there is no point in adding other products that add acid to the dish, such as wine, lemon juice, vinegar, to the sauerkraut bigus. When using tomato paste or sour cream, you also need to know when to stop.
So that the bigus from sauerkraut does not come out too sour, it is carefully washed before putting it in the dish. After this, you need to squeeze the cabbage to remove excess liquid, and only later use it to make bigus.
Potatoes and rice help make bigus taste softer and less sour. Such ingredients in sauerkraut bigus will not be superfluous.

Bigus of sauerkraut with pork

sauerkraut – 0.6 kg;
pork – 0.2 kg;
ham – 0.2 kg;
lard – 50 g;
onions – 100 g;
flour – 20 g;
tomato paste – 20 ml;
water – 100 ml;
vegetable oil – 20 ml;
salt, spices - to taste.

Rinse the pork, dry it with cardboard napkins and cut into small cubes or bars.
Cut the ham into pieces of the same shape and size as the meat.
Chop the lard with a knife.
Peel the onions and cut into small cubes.
Wash the cabbage and squeeze it out.
Place the pork in a bag and add flour to it. Shake the bag until the meat is coated with a thin layer of flour.
Put lard in a frying pan and put it on fire. When the fat has rendered from the lard, remove the cracklings from the frying pan and place the pork in it. Fry it over high heat, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Add the onion and reduce the heat slightly. Fry until the onion turns golden.
Pour oil into the bottom of a non-stick pan or cauldron. Place on the stove. After a minute, add the sauerkraut to the pan and fry it for 5 minutes.
Place the meat in a saucepan (or cauldron), and add the ham there. Stir everything.
Dilute the tomato paste with water and pour it over the cabbage. Don't forget to salt, pepper and add spices.
Simmer the dish over low heat for 30 minutes.

Bigus made from sauerkraut will taste better if you give it a little time to brew.

Bigus of sauerkraut with potatoes and meat

beef – 0.25 kg;
sauerkraut – 0.5 kg;
fresh cabbage – 0.25 kg;
onions – 75 g;
potatoes – 0.5 kg;
salt, pepper - to taste;
water – 150 ml;
vegetable oil - how much will be needed.

After washing and patting with a kitchen towel, cut the beef into thin strips, as for beef stroganoff.
Cut the onion into thin quarter rings.
After washing the sauerkraut, squeeze it well with your hands.
Shred the freshest cabbage.
Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes.
Pour oil into the bottom of a thick-bottomed pan and heat it.
Add the meat and fry it over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the onion and continue to fry the meat with it for another 5 minutes.
Add other products and stir. Add salt and spices to taste, pour in a little water.
Reduce heat and cover the pan with a heavy lid.
Simmer the sauerkraut bigus with potatoes and meat for 30 minutes.

The dish prepared according to this recipe turns out to be very satisfying, but at the same time not very high in calories. It will appeal to those who care about their health.

Bigus of sauerkraut with rice

beef – 0.2 kg;
pork – 0.2 kg;
rice – 0.2 kg;
sauerkraut – 0.3 kg;
onions – 150 g;
carrots – 150 g;
garlic – 1 clove;
bay leaf – 1 pc.;
vegetable oil - how much will be needed;
butter – 30 g;
water – 100 ml;
salt, seasonings - to taste.

Wash the pork and beef and dry with napkins. Cut them into roughly similar pieces. It is better that their size does not exceed 1.5 cm.
Pour cold water over the sauerkraut and rinse after 10 minutes. Squeeze with your hands to remove excess water.
Peel the carrots and cut into strips.
Remove the skins from the onion and cut it into thin half rings.
Boil the rice until half cooked in salted water.
Heat vegetable oil in a cauldron or large saucepan. Place the meat in it and fry, stirring, for 5-10 minutes until all the pieces are covered with an appetizing crust.
Add onions and carrots, chopped garlic with a knife. Continue frying the meat and vegetables until they acquire a golden color.
Reduce heat and add cabbage. Pour in water.
Add rice and spices, add salt. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add butter, stir.

Bigus prepared according to this recipe is best served hot. If the dish is sprinkled with fresh herbs, it will look even more appetizing.

Sauerkraut bigus with chicken

chicken fillet – 0.5 kg;
sauerkraut – 0.7 kg;
onions – 0.2 kg;
tomatoes – 0.3 kg;
carrots – 150 g;
sweet pepper – 0.2 kg;
garlic – 2 cloves;
salt, spices - to taste;
water – 100 ml;
vegetable oil - how much will be needed.

Wash and dry the chicken fillet. Cut it crosswise into not very small pieces.
Crush the garlic, mix it with a small amount of oil and chicken seasonings. Cover the chicken pieces with this sauce.
Wash the tomatoes and make cross-shaped cuts on their skin. Boil water and, without waiting for it to cool, place the tomatoes in it. After a minute, remove with a slotted spoon and cool. To speed up the process, tomatoes can be immersed in cool water for a short time. Peel the skins from the fruits. Cut the pulp into small cubes.
Wash the sweet peppers. Remove the stalk and take out the seeds. Cut the pepper into not very thick quarter rings.
Peel the carrots and chop using a grater with large holes.
Peel the onion and cut into small cubes.
Pour a little vegetable oil into the bottom of a thick-bottomed pan and place it over medium heat.
After a few minutes, add the chicken pieces to the pan and fry them over medium heat, turning a couple of times, until they are noticeably browned.
Add onions and carrots to the chicken fillet. Fry it with them for 5 minutes.
Add bell peppers and continue to fry for another 5 minutes.
Add sauerkraut, washed in advance. Pour in a little water. Don't forget to add salt and season to taste. There is no need to add a lot of salt, because both the cabbage and the meat are already salted.
Reduce heat and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer the sauerkraut bigus with chicken for 20 minutes.

Bigus from sauerkraut

At home, from time to time we prepare bigus from sauerkraut, without adding fresh cabbage, also without meat. This is a separate fragrant dish with a special taste. It can be a side dish, a completely nutritious lean dish. But, most often, the inside of cabbage is prepared for pies, for homemade flatbreads, for stuffing duck or goose.

Bigus or bigos is a common dish in our country, as in most European countries, where its production is often elevated to the rank of art. History does not remember a clear place or authorship of this dish, although it is considered Polish or came from the Principality of Lithuania in the 14th century. Its essence is stewed sauerkraut or with the addition of fresh white cabbage, pork, prunes, and spices.

With more options, local traditions and characteristics, the simpler the dish is prepared, the better it is - this is my worldview. The introduction of various additives: mushrooms, sausage, wine, tomatoes, etc., although acceptable, is used infrequently. The dish, even if made from a minimum of ingredients, is constantly recklessly delicious.

Personally, I like the sour taste of bigus the most. Usually, due to the addition of pork and prunes, the dish turns out to be a little sweet. Well, the freshest white cabbage significantly changes the taste. That’s why I personally hold stewed sauerkraut in all forms in high esteem. Perfect if the dish has been left in the refrigerator for a day or two, and then reheated and served with white bread.

Which sauerkraut is better to take?

Perfect if you make your own sauerkraut. Not very sour, with the addition of carrots - preferable, the dish will be softer, and there will be no need to additionally stew the carrots. The best results for me come from soft cabbage that is not crunchy.

We cook bigus from sauerkraut in a large saucepan or frying pan for a couple of times. After standing in the cold, it not only does not lose its taste properties, but also becomes tastier. Our mother usually prepares sauerkraut according to an old family recipe; during the season, there is always a large jar in the refrigerator. In general, there is a choice on the market, you can thoroughly test everything and settle on the one that you like.

Ingredients for sauerkraut bigus

Sauerkraut 0.6 kg
Onion 2 pcs
Vegetable oil 50 ml
Brine as needed
Salt, dark pepper, coriander, reddish pepper, bay leaf spices
Parsley, green onions, white bread for serving

How to make bigus from sauerkraut

If the sauerkraut is prepared without adding carrots, I advise you to add grated peeled carrots before frying the ingredients. Lightly squeeze the sauerkraut, keeping the brine in a cup - maybe it will be useful later. I gave the amount of sauerkraut very arbitrarily, because I can eat a kilogram of bigus myself and not burst. You can add more onions to the dish if you wish. I use vegetable oil purified from sunflower seeds.

Sauerkraut for the dish and other ingredients

Fry the onion until golden brown

Add sauerkraut and all the spices

Fry the cabbage until slightly darkened

Add vegetable oil and fry for 10-15 minutes

Bigus from sauerkraut, step-by-step recipe with photos and videos

How to amuse your man when the usual dishes are already boring? Try making sauerkraut bigus using our recipe with photos! This extraordinary dish came to us from Poland, and it has been prepared for hundreds of years.

History of the dish

Usually bigus is prepared in the cool season - in autumn or winter. It is very nutritious and can be fun on a cool winter evening. In Poland, bigus from sauerkraut has been prepared for several hundred years, and in other countries people are interested in the recipes for this dish, from the first glance, the photo of which makes your mouth water.

[stextbox are used to the fact that bigus is a dish of cabbage with meat, prepared in a special way. However, in the old cookbooks of Poland there are even recipes in which meat is not used. For example, in the famous book by Wojciech Velondko “The Perfect Cook.”[/stextbox]

Before the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was broken up, bigus was made from fish or meat, adding onions, parsley, vinegar or sour fruits to the main ingredient. The recognizable Polish creator Stanislav Chernetsky, in his own recipe book, lists versions of bigus made from hazel grouse, crayfish or carp, and even with bacon. Such unique combinations were easy to prepare at that time, and most often dishes were made specifically with them.

Juicy bigus made from cabbage, meat, and mushrooms

The bigus, which has survived to this day, was “invented” only in the 18th century and was called the “robber” bigus, since it was cheap. In its composition, the main role is given to cabbage, and smoked meats and meat only complement its taste. If earlier the sourness was made with the help of fruits, then in the future we had to give up this precious option and limit ourselves to just sauerkraut.

Noteworthy facts

Why is bigus often called “hunting”? This is precisely why they took him hunting with them. The dish prepared in advance was comfortable to reheat at a rest stop; it helped to quickly and, what is important, very deliciously replenish spent energy. Bigos was heated in a vessel under a lid tightly sealed with dough. The pressure caused the lid to “shoot” and this meant that the dish was warm.

The main rules for making bigus

Bigus is prepared in different variations, but most often its modern composition contains the following ingredients:

Fresh white cabbage;
Sauerkraut;
Smoked sausages;
Game;
Pork;
Salo.

Also, the following is added to the bigus for taste:

Mushrooms;
Tomatoes;
Prunes;
Reddish wine;
Spices.

Making bigus is divided into two parts: cabbage is stewed separately and meat and spices are fried separately. Then both parts are combined into one dish.

The main rules for making bigus

They try not to eat bigus immediately after making it, because it becomes truly tasty after a day or two, and sometimes even longer. After “resting”, this dish acquires a truly indescribable taste.

[stextbox One feature of bigus is that the more often it is heated, the tastier it becomes. Unlike other dishes, it can and should be reheated, frozen and reheated.[/stextbox]

Recipes

Now let's move on to cooking. In our version of bigus, both components (meat and cabbage) are cooked together in one saucepan.

Bigus of meat and cabbage in a saucepan

You can prepare juicy bigus from sauerkraut with sausage according to an ancient recipe, using the following products as in the photo:

Fresh cabbage;
Sauerkraut;
Carrot;
Pork;
Smoked products (ham or sausages);
Spices (cumin, dark ground pepper, peppercorns, salt);
Tomato paste;
Prunes;
Vegetable oil for frying;
Wine (white or reddish) or water.

Bigus made from cabbage, meat and smoked sausage

Cut the washed and dried pork into small pieces. Pour vegetable oil into a cast iron or saucepan and fry the pork. When the pieces begin to brown, sprinkle the meat with salt and add grated carrots. After 5 minutes, add the chopped sausage or other smoked meats.
We make sure that the frying temperature is not too high and stir the dish from time to time so that nothing burns.
After another 3 minutes, add tomato paste to the meat and add wine or water with spices.
Then we put finely shredded fresh cabbage into the cast iron pot with meat, followed by sauerkraut. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the bigus under the lid for about half an hour.
When the bigus is almost ready, add chopped pieces of prunes to it, mix everything and simmer the dish over low heat for about 10 minutes.

[stextbox bigus is served hot, with a piece of bread and herbs. A hearty dish with pork and smoked meats has an indescribable aroma and tempting sourness. It will be enjoyed both at a regular home dinner and on a holiday table.[/stextbox]

Bigus in the oven

Bigus from sauerkraut can be prepared not only with pork, but also with chicken - we offer you another recipe with a photo.

Bigus cooked in the oven on a tray

Place shredded white cabbage in a cast iron pot and, after filling with water, simmer for 10 minutes, then add sauerkraut to it and let it simmer over low heat for an hour. Boil the mushrooms separately, fry the sausages with pieces of chicken fillet, add fried onions, tomato paste and simmer everything for about 5 minutes.
Then put all the ingredients in a baking dish, pour in wine, add salt and spices to taste - and put the dish in the oven for one hour.

Bigus with potatoes

There is a variation of bigus made from sauerkraut with the addition of potatoes and even rice - you can find many recipes with photos on the Internet. We will now tell you how to prepare one of them.

Bigus with cabbage and potatoes, topped with herbs

Fry the meat cut into pieces in a frying pan until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the browned meat to a large saucepan.
In the frying pan where the meat was fried, fry the onions and carrots, then simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes to the frying pan and, after simmering a little more, transfer the vegetables to the pan with the meat. Try not to overfill the oil, but throw it in the pan - we will need it later.
Fry the potatoes, cut into large pieces, in a frying pan in the remaining oil, but not until fully cooked. Add tomato paste and simmer for a few minutes. Then transfer the potatoes to the meat, stir the contents of the pan, add a little water and put on fire.
Place the shredded cabbage in a saucepan and simmer everything together until fully cooked.

You see, this recipe does not use sauerkraut, but the taste of the dish is quite rich.

Lenten bigus

Bigus from sauerkraut can even be prepared in a slow cooker - there are a huge number of recipes with photos that describe the usual process of making it. We would like to tell you about a lean or vegetarian version of bigus.

For this you will find useful:

fresh and pickled cabbage
onion
carrot
mushrooms
prunes
tomato paste
spices
garlic
greenery.

Fry the onion, add grated carrots to it and simmer them together for about 5 minutes. Then add finely chopped mushrooms and leave for another 10 minutes.
Add shredded cabbage (fresh and pickled), pieces of prunes and a little water to the vegetables. We simmer everything until almost done. At the end, add spices, herbs, tomato paste, garlic to the dish and keep it on the fire for about 5 minutes.

Bigus is a dish that can be prepared with inspiration, using your imagination. The more different ingredients it contains, the tastier it turns out. There are recipes for bigus with photos, where it is prepared from sauerkraut with rice, with apples, with lard and even with wild garlic. Which dish will become your signature dish is up to you!