What's the secret to a good cholent?

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  • #603050
    recipes
    Member

    I’m always looking for some improvement to my cholent recipe (my husband always complains that he’s tasted better) Any ideas?

    #870619
    writersoul
    Participant

    There’s no one word solution. First, let your husband into the kitchen and tell him to add what HE wants on top of the regular stuff. Chances are he’s already got some pretty good ideas of his own.

    Otherwise, my family puts in hot dogs, deli meat, ketchup and paprika. I know someone who puts in loads of garlic and it comes out fantastic. I know people who put in beer, bbq sauce, hot pepper flakes, Coke, and peas. (Not all at the same time, don’t worry.)

    Just experiment, and eventually you’ll hit your zivug :).

    #870620
    yitayningwut
    Participant

    Hot Bone Suckin’ Sauce

    #870621
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    Popa does not concur with many cholent makers.

    Popa thinks that the makings of a good cholent are:

    Simplicity,

    Time,

    Flanken.

    Simplicity: Just put in potatoes, barley, beans, onion, flanken ends, salt, pepper, garlic. v’zehu.

    Time: Put it up thursday night.

    Flanken: Buy flanken ends (they’re relatively cheap). If you can’t find those, then get neck bones and also add some oil.

    #870622
    YW Moderator-18
    Moderator

    I for once agree with Popa. Flanken. also at least one slice of kishka. I flavor my cholent with onion soup mix. It has the right combination of spices.

    #870623
    Imaofthree
    Participant

    I always put in one eight ounce can of tomato sauce.

    #870624
    morahmom
    Participant

    A couple of bones really help (I prefer neck to marrow, but either will be fine.) Also, a squirt or two of ketchup. I stay traditional – beans, barley, potatoes, and meat (chuck steak). Kishka sometimes.

    #870625
    ahavas_yisroel
    Participant

    Marrow bones absolutely make the cholent delicious! (Not very good for cholesterol, however!)

    #870626
    yentingyenta
    Participant

    neck bones, 50/50 beans and barley, plus a few lentils. generous heaps of garlic, onion powder, paprika, S&P, squirt of ketchup and some soy sauce. if there is no soy sauce, its just not as good!

    #870627
    cherrybim
    Participant

    Mod 18, you can’t agree with popa and then add onion soup mix. That’s as silly as adding a can of chicken soup to your chicken soup. Don’t over season the cholent because it will overpower the actual taste of the dish. However, I do a cholent similar to Popa but have little or no beans. You can try premium chuck instead of flankin; after hours of simmering it’s as good as or better than flankin. Also bury some turkey pupik and cheek meat in the mixture, and lay a chicken feesil and turkey neck across the top. Try it and you will repeat. Ketchup; tomato sauce; feh!

    #870628
    ZeesKite
    Participant

    (tears)

    #870629
    Shticky Guy
    Participant

    I have heard of and even tried most of the above ingredients in my cholent and enjoyed them all. It also depends a lot on whether you use gas or electric to heat it, how long it is on the heat for, and how much liquid you have in it (yekkish borne zuppe or chassidish stodge).

    These are all ideas for a GOOD cholent. For a SUCCESSFUL cholent however there is but one factor: having none or at least limited kiddushim in the neighborhood on shabbos morning… ☺ ☺ ☺

    #870630
    MDG
    Participant

    ZeesKite,

    Why are you crying?

    #870631
    midwesterner
    Participant

    Time, time, time! I put mine up before davening on Friday morning, and I daven at the 6:00 Shacharis. So it’s going a good 30 hours.

    #870632
    ZeesKite
    Participant

    Gutte Ehrliche Kinder… (also onions)

    #870633
    MCP
    Member

    Does nobody else have a problem that her husband says “He’s tasted better”?

    #870634
    bpt
    Participant

    ” a good cholent” is like saying “a beautiful wife”. They are all good and all beautiful. Its just a question of what you call good, and what you consider beautiful.

    But since you asked:

    Well marbled meat, 50/50 beans to barley ratio (no potatos) and a pot on a blech (we have had no luck with slow cookers or hot plates).

    #870635
    Be Happy
    Participant

    Coco cola & sweet potatoes!

    #870636
    🍫Syag Lchochma
    Participant

    MCP-I do

    #870637
    Imaofthree
    Participant

    MCP, I also noticed the “He’s tasted better” and didn’t like that but figured he meant that I like yours but I’ve tasted others that I like a drop better. No husband (in his right mind) would make such a comment if he expects his wife to cook for him.

    #870638
    derszoger
    Member

    MCP: MYOB. Dont mix into someone elses shalom bayis and cause problems.

    (Besides, a husband can tell his wife when he would like a food to be improved in the future.)

    #870639
    always curious
    Participant

    a little jack daniels

    #870640
    TIGER69
    Member

    My mom used to make an amazing tasty cholent.

    When she passed away, I wanted to make cholent, so I opened her cookbook to her cholent recipe, and I found the secret ingredient!

    P.s. I ran out of his meat, so stoped making a cholent. Does anyone know where I can get some more???

    #870641
    recipes
    Member

    Well I always say, he can tell me if the food could be better if I can tell him if I don’t like his tie.

    Know what I mean anyone?

    Like my kalah teacher taught me: Shalom Bayis is like a bird, if you hold it tightly it dies. If you hold it loosely, it flies. But if you hold it with care, It will remain with you for ever.

    #870642
    yitayningwut
    Participant

    That is amazing, recipes.

    #870643
    Regesh
    Member

    Mi sheochal BeShabbos yitroch BeMotzei Shabbos

    #870644
    2qwerty
    Participant

    I cook it in a crock pot on low for about 10 hours thur night. Then when it’s still a little liquidy I put it on keep warm. After an hour when it gets a small crust on top I put parchment paper over so it shouldn’t get burned on top while it still cooks a little on keep warm over Friday night.

    #870645
    tzaddiq
    Member

    my grandmother used to put in those long hot dogs(in slices) which i used to love. I did not like to eat the egg that she would put in the chulent though. ew!

    #1270352
    YonasonR
    Participant

    Does anyone know how to make a nice, thick chulent, I have tried a lot of things but they don’t really work and everythings just watery and seperate

    #1270363
    Meno
    Participant

    Well if your chulent is too watery, my first suggestion would be less water.

    Other than that, the only secrets to a good chulent are this:

    http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/whats-the-secret-to-a-good-cholent/#post-870621

    and this:

    http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/whats-the-secret-to-a-good-cholent/#post-870625

    #1270361
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    Barley (or rice) helps balance water levels.

    #1270367

    Perhaps you need some more fat? Add some good meats and marrow/neck bones.

    #1270381
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    Well if your chulent is too watery, my first suggestion would be less water.

    Are you a chef? How would you know that?

    #1270390
    blubluh
    Participant

    My mother, A”H, was raised in a frum household in Germany before the war and didn’t have the minhag of chulent, widely considered the sine qua non of Shabbos observance (in her town, at least, they served some other hot food on Shabbos). So, i never experienced “chulent” until I went to yeshiva in Israel after high school. When I finally did taste it, I thought I had gone to heaven; it was the best thing I had ever eaten (I still feel that way).

    But, I’ve since learned that different families like different consistencies and ingredients than the way those Hungarian cooks prepared it and I am no longer as shocked when a benevolent host serves a variation (a deviation?) at Shabbos lunch (not as shocked, perhaps, but none too thrilled, either).

    Fortunately, I’ve also absorbed some good manners over the years and try not to react negatively even to maichal ben drusaee. I probably won’t ask for seconds, though. 🙂

    #1270411
    bmyer
    Participant

    Shabbos.

    #1270424
    Gadolhadorah
    Participant

    For those who are mehadrim on a low-fat, low-starch, low-sodium diet, consider substituting a firm tofu for about half the meat you would ordinarily use and trim the fat from the real meat you do use. Also consider adding some whole grains and carrots for some of the beans and potatoes. Finally, there are some excellent salt substitutes that add real flavor but don’t adversely affect your blood pressure. There is NO chiyuv do use unhealthy ingredients in you chulent nor must you use meat so be creative if you want to enhance your physical well being aka “ushamartem es nafshosechem”

    #1270460
    Meno
    Participant

    What about oneg shabbos?

    #1270469
    Mammele
    Participant

    I like to add a bit of smoked paprika.

    And mix up the beans a little for variety and experimentation. So in addition to the traditional “Chulent mix” how about adding some black eyed peas or large lima beans? See what works for your family.

    And if your husband “never” criticizes your cooking, he’s not being open and honest. If he always criticizes your food, you probably need couple’s counseling…

    #1270476
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Gadolhador, why substitute whole grains for beans? Beans have less total carbs than whole grains, more protein, and roughly the same amount of fiber. I suppose you could use unhulled barley as a substitute for pearled barley.

    #1270480
    tobs
    Participant

    bmyer, i totally agree with that! that’s a great idea especially those who grew up with Uncle Moishy

    #1270514
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    That doesn’t work. The science of cholent cannot be messed with. You don’t have to eat a full portion of cholent, but messing with the recipe can cause it to burn or be soup. (Or just taste like rubber.)

    #1270517
    mw13
    Participant

    gadolhadorah:
    consider substituting a firm tofu for about half the meat you would ordinarily use and trim the fat from the real meat you do use. Also consider adding some whole grains and carrots for some of the beans and potatoes. Finally, there are some excellent salt substitutes that add real flavor but don’t adversely affect your blood pressure. There is NO chiyuv do use unhealthy ingredients in you chulent nor must you use meat so be creative if you want to enhance your physical well being aka “ushamartem es nafshosechem”

    When you layer chumrah on chumrah, at some point you discourage those who want to comply with the spirit of staying healthy, (and ultimately for many other mitzvos)< from making the effort since it seems so difficult or hopeless from their initial perspective. Yes, being compliant with mitzvos was not meant to be “easy” but nor was it brought down by chazal that we should use every opportunity to make it more difficult than otherwise necessary.

    #1270521

    mw13 – your response is not only misplaced, but mocking her post damages the important, relevant and necessary message that was made on the other thread. That is the damage of leitzanus.

    #1271008
    mw13
    Participant

    Mod-29, for a while you’ve been assuming the worst about me and my posts, but you’ve really jumped the gun this time.

    Mocking? I was not mocking anybody. Frankly, I am quite offended that at the charge (not that I think you care). Just because you believe that a particular point is “important, relevant and necessary” does not justify you using your moderator pulpit to denigrate those who argue with that said point.

    The point I was trying to make was:

    There is no chiyuv to use tofu, carrots, and whole grains in one’s cholent.
    There is chiyuv not to endanger one’s life.

    GH was trying to emphasize the importance of staying healthy. But she fell into the very same trap that she just pointed out – namely, “layering churmra on chumra” to the point that what she is advocating is simply not realistic for most people, and if anything, may make people think that eating healthy is not something that is attainable.

    #1271108

    There is no comparison between a chumra for tznius and over healthifying a cholent.

    Regarding the rest of your post, it is outright false, and if anything I would say the reverse would have some truth to it more than that way.

    #1271170
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    I know, the cannibalism vibe there makes me uncomfortable too.

    #1271233

    “those who argue with that said point.”

    I was clear that the comment had nothing to do with my point being argued, it was about using that specific post to make that point. Those are two very different accusations and I will assume the mix up was unintentional.

    #1272521
    Lightbrite
    Participant

    Is it worth it to get slow cooker just for Shabbos?

    Then again maybe getting one just got Shabbos will show me how awesome they are and then I will end up using it more often and it will be wonderful?

    It just seems like it would take up a lot of counter space, and my cabinet storage is prob not an option.

    Can you make chulent in a veggie streamer rice cooker? It turns the cooker part off after the liquid is dried up and then keeps the food warm all Shabbos. Though if the food is thicker soupy like chulent it may just burn at the bottom, and then turn off automatically while the food is still liquidy.

    Thank you 🙂

    #1272909
    Meno
    Participant

    Is it worth it? You can get one for like 12 bucks when they’re on sale.

    I think it would be safe to say that 90 percent of frum Jews have a slow cooker just for shabbos

    #1272916
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    The art of cholent making is complex because it changes from season to season and from seasoning to seasoning.

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