No. 838 — Bigos from Leftover Beef and Sauerkraut
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 838 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Put a piece of pork fat weighing about ¼ Russian pound into a saucepan, add three glasses of rinsed and squeezed sauerkraut, then another ¼ Russian pound of pork fat or bacon.
Pour in broth, cover and braise. When the cabbage is half cooked, remove the fat and cut it, together with the pork rind, into small squares.
Combine with similarly diced leftover roast beef, game or other cooked meat, then mix everything back into the cabbage and season with pepper.
Brown half a spoonful of flour in a spoonful of butter with a finely chopped onion, add this to the cabbage and continue braising covered until it browns, stirring often so it does not burn.
After the sauce has reduced, transfer to a platter, pour over butter browned with finely crushed breadcrumbs and bake briefly. Serve at breakfast or as a course before the soup.