One Friday morning when I arrived at Philippe and Caroline’s home, the family was in full Shabbat swing. Four of Caroline’s nine children were nearby to help with preparations for the Sabbath. Caroline was assembling ingredients for cholent, based on a recipe that came with her family from Poland. Caroline makes cholent each week, cooking it all night in a slow cooker and serving it at lunch on Saturday. She simmers the meat in red wine, adds some barley and sometimes bulgur, and uses vegetable oil instead of the traditional chicken shmaltz.
Recipe information
Yield
atleast 12 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Two days before you plan to serve this stew, put the dried beans in a pot with water to cover by about 2 inches. Let soak overnight. Drain and rinse the next morning.
Step 2
The day before serving, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions, and sauté until translucent. Then add the beef (not the bones), and brown on all sides. Remove the meat and the onions to a 4-quart slow cooker or a large, heavy cast-iron pan with a cover.
Step 3
Put the carrots, potatoes, and the meat bones on top of the meat. Sprinkle on the paprika and the sugar. Spoon the tomato paste and the red wine over the meat, and top with the drained beans. Pour on the beef broth or water, filling the pot to cover the vegetables and meat by at least an inch. Dissolve the potato starch in 1/2 cup water, and stir into the pot.
Step 4
Cover the slow cooker or pan, and simmer for 30 minutes. Then turn to low, and, before the Sabbath starts, stir in the barley and cook overnight, or for at least 5 hours if you are less observant. If you look at the cholent in the morning and it is dry, pour in a little water. If it is too watery, let it sit for a bit uncovered before you serve it for lunch. Just remember, if you are religious you cannot even stir the cholent from sunset to sunup after the Sabbath begins. Stirring is considered work. Just spoon it out and serve.
