Traditions in cooking wild game date back to the mid-1600s. In Poland, a Bigos, or hunter's stew, was prepared to offer meals for an entire week. The recipe is still a classic and a mainstay for a midday meal served in the field during a driven boar hunt. Matt Besko, Executive Director of the Hunting and Fishing Branch in Alberta Forestry and Parks shared this family favourite, which dates back generations.

A bigos is best when you use a variety of game meats. Textures and flavor profiles of different game meats are very important in this dish. The variety is endless, but each Bigos needs three foundational meats:

1) Wild boar (if available or domestic pork) on the bone (hock) with fatback.
2) Wild game sausage.
3) Venison. Hunters in North America can use a hock from wild sheep, pronghorn, bear, or deer. Waterfowl also make great Bigos, and a carcass can be used instead of hocks. The sausage is best smoked, but a fresh sausage will work. Any venison used for stewing meat is perfect for the final offering. Other absolute essentials are dried wild mushrooms, fresh wild mushrooms, bay leaves, and marjoram.

Significant flavour comes from browning the meat, creating what is known as a Maillard reaction. The browned meat is extremely flavourful and easy to achieve when using a cast iron frying pan with lots of heat and some oil. A few tricks are to dry the meat with a paper towel before placing it in the pan. Secondly, do not crowd the meat; do it in small batches. The fresh mushrooms are prepared similarly in a hot pan with oil to prevent them from losing moisture and generating liquid in the pan.

Braising the Bigos for four to six hours is like a magic touch to tenderize meat, blend flavours, and allow ingredients to find their place.

Bigos is a dish sold in Polish restaurants, where a common question is, "How old is the bigos?" The more this dish is left to cool and reheat, the better it gets. In other words, make lots and enjoy it over time.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs wild boar hock, bone-in (or substitute wild game)
• 1 lb venison sausage
• 1 lb venison round
• 1 cup dried mushrooms
• 4 cups fresh mushrooms
• 2 to 4 oz vodka
• 8 to 10 juniper berries, crushed
• 4 cup sauerkraut
• 4 cups green cabbage, sliced
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 10 prunes
• 1 apple, core and cut into large slices
• 1 14 oz can tomatoes
• 6 cups beef or chicken stock
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1 tbsp dried sage
• 1 tbsp marjoram
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 6 cloves garlic

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Season the hock with salt and pepper, and place it in a hot cast iron frying pan to brown. Turn it to brown on all sides. Place the pan in an oven. Roast for one hour, remove and let cool. Cut into large pieces and separate bones.
2. Place the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside.
3. Slice the venison round into 1 ½ inch pieces. Pat them dry with a paper towel. Use a cast iron frying pan over medium-high heat, add oil, and sear each piece. Flip once to do both sides, remove from the pan, and allow to cool. Do not overcrowd the pan; work through batches until they are complete.
4. Add oil to the cast iron frying pan over medium-high heat and quickly brown the fresh mushrooms. Pour the rehydrated mushrooms into the pan with the liquid. Add the vodka and touch it with a flame to flambé. Bring the contents to a slow simmer.
5. Add oil to a large Dutch oven or cauldron over medium-high heat and add the green cabbage, sauerkraut, onion, prunes, apple, and tomatoes. Pour in the mushrooms. Stir to combine.
6. Add stock, red wine, sage, marjoram, pepper, and garlic. Bring the contents to a slow simmer. Add the pieces of meat and bones from the hock and push them into the pot.
7. Place a lid on the pot and place it in the oven lowered to 200°F. Check it in two hours to ensure there is enough liquid. Add more stock if required. Check it after four hours and add salt or pepper if required. If it is not tangy, add some lemon juice.
8. Serve with a hearty rye bread or potatoes, and make sure you get a piece of everything in the pot.