Soak the dried porcini mushrooms and prunes in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain well and cut into small pieces.
Wash and pat dry the goulash meat. Chop the smoked pork belly, dice the onions, skin and dice the tomatoes, and chop or slice the white cabbage into small pieces.
Heat the lard in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped pork belly and fry the goulash meat in portions until browned, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Remove the meat and pork belly and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and cook the onions in the remaining fat until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer the Madeira for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beef broth and set aside.
In the large saucepan, add the sauerkraut, soaked mushrooms, soaked prunes, crushed garlic cloves, diced apple, and diced tomatoes. Sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes. Return the browned meat and pork belly. Pour in the broth and Madeira mixture and bring to a simmer.
Add the chopped or sliced white cabbage. Cover the saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage softens somewhat. Ensure the liquid nearly covers all ingredients; add more broth if needed.
Stir in the paprika powder. Insert the cloves into the bay leaves and place on top along with the cinnamon stick. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours with the lid slightly tilted, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
As the liquid reduces during simmering, gradually add the red wine, then additional broth as needed. About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, cut the Mettenden into roughly 2.5 cm pieces and add to the pot. Stir occasionally. In the final minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bigos tastes even better when reheated the next day or stored for several days.
Serve with boiled potatoes or lightly toasted bread.
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