We still have a few warm weeks ahead of us, but we are slowly entering the part of the year that will start to greet us with cooler evenings and shorter days. Yes, we're talking about autumn, of course. And what's the best way to be in a good mood during the last months of the year? Good food, of course! We have a recipe for Silesian-style hunter’s stew for you!

Ingredients:
– 2 kg sauerkraut
– ½ head of fresh cabbage cut into strips (about 1 kg)
– ½ kg smoked bacon
– 1 kg pork (neck or shoulder)
– ½ kg beef
– 200 g pork fatback (preferably smoked)
– 4 Berger sausages
– 1 cup/240 grams of broth
– 4 medium-size yellow onions
– 100 grams dried mushrooms
– 15 smoked prunes
– 2 wine apples
– 250 grams tomato puree
– water as needed
– spices: salt and peppercorns (as desired), 4 bay leaves, 6 allspice seeds, 5 juniper berries, 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, 1 tablespoon marjoram, 1 tablespoon powdered sweet paprika, dry red wine (1 glass).

Preparation:
Chop the pork fatback and bacon, put them in a pan, fry the fat. Add the diced beef, pork and sausage and fry thoroughly. Add chopped onions and fry. Transfer everything to a larger pot and place over low heat. Drain the sauerkraut, rinse with cold water, slice and add to the pot.
Slice the fresh cabbage and also add to the pot. Add the wine, broth and tomato puree. Do not forget to stir. Pour a small amount of water over the dried mushrooms for about 10 minutes to rehydrate and soften them, then pour them into the hunter’s stew along with this water. Add bay leaves, allspice, juniper berries and peppercorns.
Continue to cook on low heat for about 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Add the diced apples, whole plums and the rest of the spices (salt, sweet paprika, marjoram) and cook for about 1 hour. If when the cooking of the hunter’s stew you find that it is too dry and starts to stick to the bottom, add water as needed. If, despite stirring, the hunter’s stew burns a little, it's not a bad thing – it lends it more depth and tonal qualities and a pleasant, smoky flavour.
Cool the ready hunter’s stew and put it in the fridge or a cool room. The hunter’s stew can be reheated many times and will take on more flavour each time. Excess hunter’s stew can be pasteurised or frozen.
Tip: Remember – stir the hunter’s stew frequently so that the flavours blend well and it doesn't get scorched – a little bit of burning is ok, but don’t overdo it!

Enjoy!