By Taste
Bigos
There are many ways to prepare bigos and its varieties. All are based on the same essential ingredients, differing only in some additives and in the order in which they are added. The main ingredients of Old Polish bigos are finely chopped sauerkraut, fresh cabbage (sometimes used only as pickled), various meat and sausages, dried mushrooms, dried plums (onion) and spices. The whole should be choked as long (the longer, the better), preferably a few days. The preparation should have a thick consistency and dark brown color, when served on a plate should not leak from it. It should have a spicy, slightly acidic-sweet (but not overly) flavor and have a strong smell of smoked meats, plums and possibly venison. During steaming you can water with dry red wine, which greatly increases the taste of bigos. You can add to the bigos, to improve the taste, a small amount of sweet and aromatic wine - eg malaga. Nowadays, bigos are also enriched with honey, which, however, do not provide the old cookbooks.
The taste of bigos depends to a large extent on the amount, quality and variety of added species of meats and cured meats. In the Old Polish cuisine, the remaining remnants of noble roasts and cold cuts were consumed to the bigos, which greatly increased the taste of the dishes. Bigos old Polish was always made without roasting. Some are also adding tomato paste (not known in Old Polish cuisine) and herbs: cumin, marjoram, allspice. Traditionally, plum sauce is added. According to many recipes, meat should be as much as cabbage. Bigos can also be made only from sauerkraut, but sometimes it is too sour. To prevent this, rinse sauerkraut under running water or even pre-cook.
