Cholent
Cholent is a terrific way to serve a hot meal on a cold winter Shabbat. It is easy to make and even easier to keep warm. Once you’ve got the basic recipe down, experiment and enjoy!
"The proverbial expression, ‘what you put in, you get out’ applies very much to cholent. Cholent planning comes AFTER the choice of ingredients, not before it. That is, create your cholent based on what is fresh and available."
Taken from Come For Cholent by Kay Kantor Pomerantz
Permission from Bloch Publishing Company, New York
(Available from the USCJ Book Service. See our web site at http://www.uscj.org)
Preface:
· Hints to soften beans for easy digestion: Beans should be picked over and rinsed with cold water. They may be prepared for cooking by either soaking for 4 hours; soaking overnight, or pre-boiled for 5 minutes and then allowed to stand covered for one hour. Follow preparation by rinsing beans with cold water. Optional: A small slice of seaweed may be added as a natural tenderizer.
· Water or liquid level should be high enough to cover all ingredients and no higher than within an inch of the top of the pot.
Very Basic Scrumptious Cholent— Serves 4 to 6
½ cup medium barley 1 onion, chopped fine
½ cup small white baby lima beans 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine or put through a press
½ cup red kidney beans 2 T. oil
11/2 lbs. flanken, cut into large chunks cold water*
6 small red potatoes approx. 2 t. salt
5 or 6 beef marrow or neck bones 1 t. black pepper, freshly ground
Brown meat and onions in saucepan (or place meat and onions beneath oven broiler for a few minutes). Rinse barley in a sieve under cold running water, until water runs clear. Pick over beans and rinse thoroughly. Peel potatoes and cut into rounds. Add barley, beans,* potatoes, bones, and garlic to meat and onions in the saucepan. Add 6-7 cups cold water, or enough to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for one hour. Skim froth as it rises to the surface. Keep hot using one of the ways mentioned in the preface.*
Vegetarian Cholent— Serves 4 to 6
1 onion, cut in rings 8 oz. tomato sauce
2-3 stalks celery cold water*
6 potatoes approx. 2 t. salt
4-5 carrots 1 t. black pepper, freshly ground
Layer bottom of pot with onion rings. Then add celery, carrots and potatoes. Add seasonings, tomato sauce and enough water to cover. Cook for approximately one hour before Shabbat and keep hot using one of the ways mentioned in the preface.*