Give me Cholent or give me death.
Now I do not have cholent as often as I would like (Maybe once or twice a year versus everyday) but when I do I am in heaven.
Not familiar with cholent?
Cholent is uniquely Jewish. It was created because Jewish law does not permit cooking on Shabbat. To adhere to this prohibition, Jewish cooks began to create meat and bean stews in heavy pots that would slowly simmer inside a low-heat oven overnight. They would prepare the stew on Friday before sundown, cook it partially, and place it into the oven to continue cooking throughout the night. That way, there would be no need to kindle a fire or light a stove during the hours of Shabbat; they would simple remove the stew from the oven at mealtime and it would be fully cooked and ready to serve.
There are many different kinds of cholent, one better than the next.
Schalet – The Yiddish word for cholent, referred to in the German poem at the beginning of this blog. Schalet refers to an Eastern European-style cholent with meat, beans, barley, and sometimes kishke. Spicing is minimal; often only salt and pepper are used.
Hamin/Hamim/Chamim/Chamin – From the Hebrew word “hot.” The Sephardic version of cholent is known as hamin. Popular throughout Israel, hamin is often made with chicken rather than meat and usually contains eggs. It is also spiced more exotically than Eastern European cholent.
Dafina & Skhina – In Spain, the Maghreb, and Morocco, cholent is referred to as dafina or skhina. It is generally cooked with chickpeas, meat, potatoes and eggs along with spices native to the Maghreb.
Osh Savo – A sweet and sour Shabbat rice stew served by Bukharan Jews.
Tabeet & Pacha – Iraqi Jews have two popular Shabbat dishes. Tabeet is made with a whole chicken stuffed with rice, herbs, and seasonings. Pacha is tripe stuffed with lamb, seasonings, and rose petals. Both are slowly cooked overnight for Shabbat, which makes them regional ethnic variations on the cholent theme.
So, as you can see there are as many kinds of cholent as you would want. I am most familiar with Chamin and with Schalet.
For several great cholent recipes check out here.
My favorite?
INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- ½ to 1 pound boneless beef short ribs, cut in 1 1/2-inch chunks
- Pepper, to taste
- ¾ cup pearl barley
- ⅓ cup dried kidney beans
- ⅓ cup dried navy beans
- ⅓ cup dried cranberry beans
- 3 cups chicken or beef broth
- 2 tablespoons honey or molasses
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- Salt to taste
Step 1)
Line the bottom of a slow cooker with the potatoes, the onion and then the short ribs, sprinkling the meat with pepper to taste.
Step 2)
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.
So, what is your favorite comfort food?