Cholent -HELP | Imamother

amother

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 3:44 pm

amother Dodgerblue wrote:

I don't add gravy, but I add a chicken wing. It really enhances the flavor.

Also, I don't do this regularly because it's really not so healthy, but a can of coke really makes the cholent taste amazing.

I don't sautee my onions first, but I slice them very, very thin so they cook more and get sweeter.

Hmm- adding a wing. I love that idea.
Thank you.

Coke scares me. What happens if my family loves it too much? It’s a possibility!

amother

Skyblue

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 3:53 pm

amother Skyblue wrote:

My secret ingredient is that I save the gravy from regular roasted chicken iwth spices (onion, garlic, season salt, paprika) and I add it into the cholent for flavor. I don't do that every week though.

I use a 6 qt crockpot, the kind with a flat base and flat glass top. I saute an onion or 2, add 1 family pkg of meat (its called tender chuck stew I think at Gourmet Glatt), and 1/2 bag of barley, 1/2 bag of cholent beans pre-soaked from the night before, and 2 or 3 potatoes. I add spices - a generous pour of paprika, season salt, table salt, onion powder, garlic powder (probably 1 T each I'm guessing), and then 2 heaping T of onion soup mix, 2 T of honey, and 2 T of ketchup. Then I add gravy if I have. Add some water. And when its mostly cooked, I take off the plastic wrapper from a meal mart kishka loaf, wrap it in parchment paper, and add on top.

My family says my cholent is really good, but I don't often eat it (too salty/carby, and I try to avoid red meat). They seem to like it! They even eat the leftovers Smile

Oh no! I think I made a mistake. I'm reading this over and I don't think its 1 Tablespoon of salt and 1 Tablespoon of season salt. I don't measure, but the season salt comes out slowly so that one is probably 1 teaspoon at most. I think the way I originally wrote it, it will be way too salty. And I think its probably more like 2 Tablespoons of paprika. Oh, also, I use Gefen brand barley and cholent mix beans, they seem to come out best. Sometimes when I've bought other brands, it comes out differently. And, the potatoes are cut in eighths or more so they are smallish. Goodness, who knew cholent could be so detailed!?

amother

Tuberose

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 3:59 pm

amother OP wrote:

Surprisingly the oven method is super popular in real life.
Care to share your oven recipe ?
I’m all ears.

Yes, I will type it up later IyH
If you are going shopping you need the regular ingredients… for beans it’s the white navy beans
And make sure you buy frozen kishka

amother

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 4:10 pm

amother Skyblue wrote:

Someone on the potato kugel thread wrote that we overcomplicate things. Which is probably true. However, for those who have it naturally or saw their family members cook regularly these nuances seem insignificant. To others how to cut a potato is a big deal.

Thanks for correcting the salt. I tend to review these details before following to make sure it makes sense.
Typos happen very often.

Thank you.

amother

Khaki

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 5:10 pm

Married for 25+ years and was still searching for the best recipe.
Then I found Yossi Weisz on kosher.com or YouTube, who details the cholent he makes for Snaps.
Easiest if you watch that yourself and list the ingredients. I adapted by adding more meat, potatoes and some ketchup, and less beans and less BBQ sauce.
Comes out delicious every time, tons of compliments, and I am feeding a crowd of guys every week.
Worth searching for Yossi recipe!

amother

Watermelon

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 5:49 pm

I don’t have an official recipe, but this is what I do.

Sauté one onion with 3-4 garlic cloves. Add boneless flanken and brown the sides, I flavor it with (approx) 1T salt, 1/2 T onion soup mix, 1/2 T consomme, 1T paprika, 1T honey, 1T ketchup and a little black pepper. 1 cup barley, 2 cubed potatos, about 4 c water. (Sometimes I add tomato paste or some dark brown sugar instead of the honey for better color.)
Many times I transfer to the oven after and it tastes delicious that way. If not, I put in the crockpot on medium-low.

amother

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 5:58 pm

amother Khaki wrote:

Thank you for sharing this. I’ll try to find it online

amother

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 5:59 pm

amother Bluebell wrote:

If you don’t like sautéing onions you can buy ready or sauté a big pot once in a few weeks. Divide in baggies and freeze.

Ready sautéed onions just don’t taste the same. I do make a huge batch and freeze it. But I find myself freshly sautéing onions constantly.

amother

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 6:02 pm

amother Watermelon wrote:

Only barley? Or the beans were a given?

Tomato paste must give it quite a deep flavor.

amother

Lily

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 6:35 pm

The secret to a good chulent is marrow bones! place at bottom of pot/crockpot & flavor will permeate into the rest of it and prevent chulent from burning.
I rarely use beans - just use barley. Other good ingredients I've use are soup stock powder / beef bullion cubes, or seasonings with MSG ( no one said chulent is healthy!). Key is always the amount of water, so depending on the pot size/shape, and amount of water you add, you will need to vary the spices & flavorings.

amother

Seashell

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 6:53 pm

amother OP wrote:

Only barley? Or the beans were a given?

Tomato paste must give it quite a deep flavor.

If you add the tomato paste with two teaspoons of sugar it will come out just about the same as using a tablespoon of ketchup. I’m curious if you’d be able to tell the difference.

sara1232

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 7:07 pm

amother OP wrote:

But you still add real meat?
I guess it’s just a flavor enhancer. Interesting idea.

Ye sure I add meat.
Im clearly the minority but I actually don't add onions to my cholent. I don't find it adds much and I don't like the texture of onions in my cholent.

My recipe goes something like this:
1 bag cholent mix with barley
2-3 cubed potatoes
Beef stew
Sometimes I add fatty beef bones for added flavor
Seasoning including: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika (I eyeball these)
Beef bullion as mentioned above.

I dump everything in the crockpot anytime between Friday morning and a min before the zman lol. No sautéing anything. Always tastes delish.
(When I have leftover kugel I add it to the crockpot to cook with the cholent and the kugel tastes amazing shabbos morning)

sara1232

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 7:08 pm

amother Lily wrote:

OK here's someone on the same page as me😂
Beef bullion adds so much.

amother

Bergamot

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 7:42 pm

1/2 bag navy beans
1/3 bag barley
3 marrow bones
One flanken (with bones)
Three frozen onion cubes
Ketchup
Paprika
Dash of garlic powder
2.5 tsp salt (approx.)

Spray craockpot with cooking oil
Put in all ingredients and Cover with water
Leave on high, bubbling for 1 hour, keep on low (2) overnight
Turn down to 1.5 before shabbos (and add water if necessary)

Yum! Enjoy

funkyfrummom

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 8:21 pm

My secret (not a secret) is that every cholent has to have both an umami flavor and an add-in to make it "special."

Favorite umami-s are beer, ketchup, onion powder, pastrami, or msg powder (don't judge me)

Favorite add-in's (in order of preference) are potato kugel, kishke, and eggs (don't use homemade kugel... this is for the store-bought or any that has been in the freezer a little too long)

funkyfrummom

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 8:28 pm

funkyfrummom wrote:

PS - combine the beer with kiske that's in a natural casing for amazing cholent... the beer causes the casing to burst... my son swears this is the absolute best version we make

amother

Wed, Feb 21 2024, 8:29 pm

amother Lily wrote:

Marrow bones !
I completely forgot about that one.
You think it’s the fat that gives such a delicious taste? Very possible indeed.

Another vote for beef bullion I see.
It’s already on the grocery list for tomorrow.

Only barley? Isnt it too heavy ?