As the evening progressed, my local, female friends and I got a bit silly. It was NOT the beer! No on had consumed enough to blame the yeastiness of God's blessing. Regardless, my sense of humor took over when I presented, "Pork Orgy" to the table.
The amazing recipe is a pork four-way, hence the new name. Thanks to the wine and sauerkraut it came out a gorgeous, unexpected, beefy color. Although the base recipe included potatoes, I made a separate potato dish, so a second dish didn't make sense. The dish went on the table, I forgot to take pictures, and everyone took some.
A little while later, one guest said, "All I hear is moaning!" She was right. The busy, random conversations between nine strong, interesting women stopped cold by hot, porky goodness. With ten strong endorsements for deliciousness, this recipe takes a few steps, but otherwise isn't very complicated. And it's completely worth every step. So come on, dive into your own Pork Orgy courtesy of The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook: A Treasure of Timeless, Delicious Recipes (click to see my review of the book).
Polish Pork and Cabbage Stew
(Bigos)
Serves 6
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
5 ounce thick bacon slices, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 pound lean boneless pork stew meat, cut into 1 inch pieces and patted dry
3 large yellow onions, coarsely chopped
1 small or ½ medium head green cabbage, cored and shredded
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups beef stock
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine
2 cups canned, whole tomatoes, undrained, chopped
1 pound sauerkraut, rinsed under cold water and squeezed dry
1 cup pitted prunes, chopped
12 juniper berries, bruised
2 bay leaves
¼ pound cooked ham, diced
½ pound kielbasa, cut into ½-inch thick rounds
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Sour cream (optional)
1 ½ to 1 pounds small red potatoes, boiled, peeled, cut into chunks (optional)
1. Soak the mushrooms in the warm water until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain the liquid through 2 layers of dampened paper towels into a container and set the liquid aside; rinse any grit from the mushrooms and set the mushrooms aside.
2. Heat in 10-inch cast iron Dutch oven medium heat until just hot, about 3 minutes. Add the oil and bacon, and cook until the fat is rendered from the bacon. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to paper towels to drain, reserving the drippings in the pan.
3. Increase the heat to medium high. Add the stew meat. To the drippings and cook until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes; using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a bowl, serving the drippings in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium; add the onions and cabbage, and cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the stock, reserved mushrooms and liquid, wine, tomatoes, sauerkraut, prunes, juniper berries, and bay leaves; bring to a boil, scraping the pan the pan to loosen any browned bits. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 2 hours.
5. Uncover, stir in the ham and kielbasa and cook 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste; remove and discard the bay leaves. Serve the stew in soup bowls with a dollop of sour cream, if desired, and a little bacon sprinkled on top. If you like, serve with boiled potatoes.