Here’s a hearty dish dating back to the middle ages you’ll delight in serving on cold winter days. This is a hunter’s stew recipe from Russ Crandall, The Domestic Man. Russ specializes in developing these recipes from various cultures around the world. With this offering, he captures the savory essence of this eastern European stew that is sure to warm your insides and have you coming back for more! You’ll love the various flavor combinations and you’re free to adjust it to your own preferences.
Recipe Author: Russ Crandall/The Domestic Man
US Wellness Meats Shopping List: Pork Lard or Ghee, Pork Roast, Stew Beef or Kabob Meat, Chicken Broth, Smoked Polish Kielbasa
Serves: 4-6
Time: 4-5 hours
PHOTO CREDIT: Russ Crandall/The Domestic Man
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp lard, bacon grease, ghee, or olive oil
- 1 lb stew beef, venison, elk, or reindeer, cut into 1” pieces
- 1 lb pork shoulder, cut into 1” pieces
- 1 lb kielbasa or other smoked sausage, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb sauerkraut + juice
- 1 small head green cabbage, about 1 lb, shredded
- ¼ tsp caraway seeds
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ½ oz dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 10 prunes
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions For Preparing Polish Hunter’s Stew
1. Warm the lard in a stockpot or a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef and pork liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the meat until dark brown and crispy, about 4 minutes per side, in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside; reduce heat to medium and add the kielbasa. Saute until browned, about 3 minutes per side, then set aside.
2. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken broth, sauerkraut and its juices, cabbage, caraway, and allspice; stir to combine. Add the beef and pork and any accumulated juices. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours without adding any liquid as it evaporates. About 30 minutes before the end of the 2 hours, place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with warm water, about 1 cup.
3. Stir in the kielbasa, bay leaves, garlic, carrots, and prunes. Remove the mushrooms from their water, then coarsely chop; add the mushrooms and the water you soaked the mushrooms in, minus any sediment that collected at the bottom of the bowl. Simmer until the meat is very tender and starting to shred, about 1 to 2 more hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve.
See the original post on The Domestic Man
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A big US Wellness thank you goes out to Russ Crandall, The Domestic Man, for this awesome recipe. At his blog, you’ll find gluten-free and Paleo-friendly recipes. His recipes focus on classic, traditional, and international dishes from a historical, linguistic, and cultural perspective.
Russ released his debut cookbook, The Ancestral Table: Paleo Recipes for a Traditional Lifestyle, in February 2014, and his second cookbook, The New York Times-bestselling Paleo Takeout: Restaurant Favorites without the Junk, in June 2015.
