A stew with sauerkraut, a whole head of cabbage, and 3 types of pork? You should have seen my dad’s eyes when I told him Hank was making this recipe for us. Enjoy. ~Elise

Also known as bigos, this hearty, cabbage and pork-based stew has been called the national dish of Poland. It definitely has an Eastern European feel to it: Cabbage and sauerkraut, lots of different meats – many of the them smoked – and a variety of mushrooms. Anyone who knows anything about Eastern Europe knows they are mad about mushrooms. Apparently the original bigos was made with wild game, but over the centuries – the dish is said to be close to 700 years old – it has become a stew of many domestic meats. Smoked sausage, mostly kielbasa, is a given, as is either bacon or a smoked ham hock. Fresh sausages, pork shoulder, veal or beef are also used.

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