Classic Cholent Food

BEST CHOLENT RECIPE EVER - JEWISH OVERNIGHT STEW IN A DUTCH OVEN

Steps:

• Heat some olive oil in a pan. Add a whole onion, turning it every minute or so so that a new part is browning. When it begins to brown, add your meat, and sear it. Turn off your flame once your meat has been browned.
• Peel 5 medium sized yellow waxy potatoes (such as Green Giant Klondike Goldust or Yukon Gold) and cut in half or leave them whole.
• Cover your potatoes with water. Turn your flame back on and while it's heating season your cholent, adding all the "seasoning" ingredients and giving it a stir. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook about half an hour or until your potatoes begin to soften but aren't falling apart.
• Add your barley. Add water if necessary to cover your barley, plus an inch, and let it simmer uncovered until the barley is cooked (about half an hour). Add water if needed as it cooks.
• Make sure you have a thin later of water covering your cholent, and that the meat is totally submerged. Set it on your Shabbat hot plate to cook overnight.

CHOLENT

Steps:

• Place the beans in a medium bowl and cover with a few inches of water. Refrigerate at least 8 hours.
• Using the sear feature of your slow cooker, or a heavy pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the beef on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear the beef until deep golden brown on one side, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn and sear other side until golden brown, 4 to 6 more minutes. Remove the beef and set aside. Remove and discard excess oil. Add 1/4 cup of the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Cook until mostly reduced, about 30 seconds.
• If searing in the slow cooker, add the onions in one layer. Top with the potatoes, then the seared beef. If searing in a separate pan, place the onions in one layer on the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with the potatoes, then the beef, then pour in the reduced wine.
• Top with the drained beans, then the carrots, garlic and barley. Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup red wine, tomato paste and honey in a large glass measuring cup and add 2 cups water. Add the water mixture and the beef broth to the cooker. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.
• Stir in the vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve.

TRADITIONAL CHOLENT

Steps:

• Soak beans overnight and drain next day. In a Dutch oven, brown onions in hot oil on medium heat. Remove onions and set aside.
• Rub the meat with a combination of salt, pepper and paprika and then brown the meat in the same pot that you browned the onions.
• While the onions were browning, in a separate pot, start to boil enough water to cover the meat.
• When the meat is browned, add the lima beans, garlic, potatoes, and bay leaf, onions and mix together. Add the flour at the end. Pour boiling water over the mixture just to cover it. Cover the pot tightly and bring to a boil.
• At this stage you can do one of two things: 1) If you wish to cook overnight to observe Sabbath guidelines of no cooking, heat oven to 400 degrees and set a rack to accommodate your Dutch Oven. Place Dutch oven into the oven and reduce heat to 250 and cook overnight until noon the next day, OR: 2) Continue to cook on the stove for 3-4 hours on low heat. You may need to add a little water now and then to maintain a gravy-like consistency with the meat (check the meat every hour or so), stirring occasionally.