Edith Kleins Cholent Recipes

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.

EDITH KLEIN'S CHOLENT

Steps:

• Place beans in a bowl, cover with cold water to a depth of 2 inches and allow to soak at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Heat fat or oil in a large, heavy casserole. Add onions and shallots and saute until golden. Stir in garlic and cook for about a minute. Remove the vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon, draining them well, and set aside.
• Brown chunks of beef lightly in the fat and remove them.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut pastrami into 1-inch cubes and stir them into the fat, then stir in the paprika and honey. Return onions, shallots, garlic and beef to casserole. Stir in barley. Drain beans and add them.
• Add 6 cups boiling water to casserole. Cover and place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 250 degrees and bake 30 minutes longer. Remove lid, season to taste with salt and pepper, then cover casserole with a piece of aluminum foil and replace the lid. Place in oven and allow to bake 7 to 8 hours or overnight.

JOAN NATHAN'S CHOLENT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. In a skillet saute chopped onions in oil until softened. Add meat and brown well.
• In an 8-quart casserole heat honey for a few minutes until lightly caramelized. Add rinsed, drained beans, barley, potatoes and the meat. Scatter garlic cloves around the meat. Dissolve salt, pepper and paprika in a cup of water and pour over meat. Add whole onion and bones. Add enough water to cover ingredients.
• Bring to a boil, cover with aluminum foil and lid and simmer 15 minutes. Transfer casserole to oven and cook overnight. The next morning, check casserole. If water still covers meat, uncover and cook until water evaporates to a thick sauce, about 2 hours. To serve, spoon onto a large platter, keeping each ingredient separate.

CHOLENT

Steps:

• Line the bottom of a slow cooker with the potatoes, the onion and then the short ribs, sprinkling the meat with pepper to taste.
• Scatter the barley and the beans on top, then pour on the broth and the honey or molasses. Sprinkle with the paprika and salt to taste. Add enough water to cover all the ingredients. Cook on low for 12 to 15 hours, stirring occasionally (except during Shabbat, for those who observe it), adding more water if necessary. The longer the cholent cooks, the better it will be.