Authentic Polish bigos—which recipe is truly worth making? Today I'm testing two bigos recipes at once: a simple version from Denis from the channel "Shame on the Polk" and a detailed Polish bigos recipe from Tomasz. One author claims that bigos is practically impossible to mess up and precise measurements aren't necessary. The second uses several types of meat, sauerkraut and fresh cabbage, smoked meats, red wine, prunes, dried mushrooms, apples, and a long simmer. Who will be right?

I'm making both recipes in a regular home kitchen and then tasting the results with Irina. The first bigos turned out to be a good version of stewed cabbage with sausages for dinner. But the second... after tasting it, it became clear why Poles take this dish so seriously.

In this episode, we'll explore whether bigos needs to be simmered for a long time, why mix fresh and sauerkraut, whether several types of meat are necessary, what are the benefits of prunes, mushrooms, apples, and red wine—and most importantly, is it worth spending 5-6 hours on a true Polish bigos, or will a simple recipe yield virtually the same results?

Which version would you choose—a simple and quick one, or a Polish one that takes half a day? And if you make bigos yourself, be sure to share your recipe and secrets in the comments. Judging by the Poles, there are as many true bigos as there are families. 😄

Timecodes:

00:00 — Two Bigos Recipes: Simple vs. Polish
01:08 — Ingredients for the First Bigos
02:08 — Starting with Denis's Recipe
03:06 — Adding Sausages
03:52 — Tomatoes, Mustard, and the First Controversial Point
05:46 — Fresh and Sauerkraut at the Same Time
07:00 — Simmering for 1.5 hours instead of 40 minutes
07:48 — Spices, Salt, and Sugar
08:55 — The First Bigos is Ready
09:25 — Tasting #1
10:39 — Authentic Polish Bigos from Tomasz
11:24 — Starting with the Polish Version
11:53 — Three Types of Pork and the Right Roast
14:20 — Why Sauerkraut Add the cabbage later
14:28 — Red wine and fresh cabbage
14:56 — Smoked meats, apples, prunes, and mushrooms
16:02 — Spices for Polish bigos
17:31 — Adding sauerkraut
17:58 — Three hours of simmering
18:19 — Why bigos gets better with age
18:59 — Tasting authentic Polish bigos
20:18 — Two different leagues? A comparison summary
21:09 — Irina's opinion
22:38 — Should bigos be simmered for several days?
23:41 — What does prolonged simmering do to cabbage?
24:05 — Final conclusion

If you enjoy tried-and-true recipes, recipe comparisons with bloggers, and honest home experiments, subscribe to the "He's not your chef" channel. Here, recipes are not taken at face value—they are first prepared and then praised. 🙂

#bigos #bigus #polishcuisine #bigosrecipe #polishbigos #stewedcabbage #cabbagewithmeat #recipes #recipetest #onyouamthechef

Links to the authors' recipes:

1. Denis @pozorpolka
"Вне цивилизации": Готовим БИГОС.

Ingredients:

Sauerkraut 600g
Fresh cabbage 700g
Carrots 230g
Onions 330g
Hunting sausages 250g
Wieners 250g
Leeks 50g
Pepper mix 2 tsp
Italian herbs 1 tbsp
Sauerkraut juice 50-100 ml
Tomatoes in their own juice 260 g (net), 400 g jar
Salt 1 tbsp

2. Tomasz @ODDASZFARTUCHA
Zrób to TERAZ, a Święta będziesz mieć z gł...
*Cabbage and other ingredients:* *
2 kg sauerkraut
1.2 kg fresh white cabbage
3-4 onions - about 400 g
250 g prunes
20 g dried mushrooms
2 tablespoons tomato paste - optional
2 grated apples - optional, but they balance the acidity perfectly
200 ml dry red wine or 200 ml broth

*Meat and smoked meats:*
800 g pork shoulder
600 g pork neck
350 g pork cheeks (I used brisket)
350 g smoked Hams
300 g of high-quality sausage (I used Krakow sausage)

**Spices:* *
3–4 bay leaves
6–8 allspice berries
1 tablespoon marjoram
2 teaspoons caraway seeds — optional
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
black pepper — to taste
Salt — be careful, as sauerkraut and smoked meats are already salted