The Melting Pot 2.0/The Melting Pot 2.0.iso/food/stews/cholent

Text File | 1995-09-27 | 8.8 KB | 285 lines

Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes
Path: uuneo.NeoSoft.com!taronga!arielle
From: "Joel W./Mirjam D." <[e-mail]>
Subject: Cholent
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Organization: Taronga Park BBS
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 1994 14:08:32 +0200 (IST)


Wintertime is the perfect time for cholent.  With the cold weather
hitting so many of you in the States, this might be a welcome addition
to a cold afternoon.  The following recipes and explanations were
taken by the "Come for Cholent" book by Kay Kantor Pomerantz.

Cholent may be made in a crock pot, a heavy pot set on the stove top
*blech* (a sheet of metal placed over a low fire) or in the oven.  Prior
to *Shabbat* (the Jewish Sabbath), oven temperature should be
reduced to very low.  (Mirjam's note:  Cholent can also be cooked
conventionally as a stew on top of the stove for about 2 1/2 to 3
hours, or in the pressure cooker for about 45 minutes)

As cholent is served traditionally for Saturday lunch, please note:
Winter cholent cooks longer than summer cholent (cooking starting
from sundown), therefore you must adjust the water level accordingly
(more water is needed in winter where Shabbat begins as early as 4 in
the afternoon).  In fact, most favor cholent in the winter asit is a hot
and filling dish!

Beans may be soaked overnight, pre-boiled or simply picked over and
rinsed.  If the recipe does not specify, follow the directions on the
package or soak for one hour, rinse and use.

Water or liquid level should be high enough to cover all ingredients
and no higher than within an inch of the top of the pot.  All recipes
list "water" but do not specify exact amounts.

After the water begins to boil, skim off froth as it rises to the surface.

Before sundown on Friday night, place the cholent in a preheated
oven and let it heat until the following day.  A few hours before
lunch, check the cholent -- if it is too moist, uncover it and leave it in
the oven to dry.  Correct the seasonings as desired.


Cholent Recipes

Basic instructions are given for the first cholent recipe.  All following
recipes should follow those instructions unless otherwise noted.


VERY BASIC SCRUMPTIOUS CHOLENT

1/2 cup medium barley
1/2 cup small, white lima beans
1/2 cup red kidney beans
6 small red potatoes
1 1/2 lbs. brisket, cut into large chunks
5 or 6 beef marrow or neck bones
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine or put through a press
2 T oil
cold water
approx 2 t salt
1 t black pepper, freshly ground

Brown meat and onions in saucepan (or place meat and onions
beneath oven broiler for a few minutes).  Rinse barley in a sieve under
cold running water, until water runs clear.  Pick over beans and rinse
thoroughly.  Peel potatoes and cut into rounds.  Add barley, beans,
potatoes, bones and garlic to meat and onions in the saucepan.  Add
6-7 cups cold water, or enough to cover, and bring to a boil over high
heat.  Season with salt and pepper and simmer for one hour.  Skim
froth as it rises to the surface.  Place in oven as indicated in preface.


VEGETARIAN CHOLENT

6 potatoes
1 onion, cut in rings
2-3 stalks of celery
4-5 carrots
8 oz. tomato sauce
salt & pepper (to taste)
water

Layer bottom of pot with onion rings.  Then add celery, carrot and
potatoes.  Add seasonings, tomato sauce and enough water to cover.


VEGETARIAN CHOLENT WITH TOFU

Add one package of smooth tofu cut in 1 1/2 inch chunks to
vegetarian cholent.


VEGETARIAN CHOLENT (SWEET)

2-3 sweet potatoes
1 large onion
1 turnip (optional)
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
1 potato
1 1/2 cups mixed beans
1/2 cup brown rice
4-5 dates (chopped)
1 T oil
water
Season with garlic, cinnamon, honey, soy sauce, salt and pepper.

Cut vegetables into large chunks and saute in oil.  Add rice, beans and
water to cover.  When beans are soft, add dates and season "to taste".


SWEET & SOUT MEATBALL CHOLENT (in a crock pot)

1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery
2-3 carrots
1/4 cup beans
1/2 cup barley
4-5 potatoes
1 sweet potato
2 lbs. chopped meat
1/2 cup sweet wine
3/4 cup orange juice
3 T ketchup
3/4 - 1 cup water
1 t garlic
salt and pepper (to taste)

Saute diced onion until translucent.  Drain and put onions in bottom
of crock pot.  Layer chopped celery and carrots, barley and beans,
diced sweet and white potatoes and meatballs.  Mix wine, orange
juice, ketchup and garlic.  Stir well and add to crock pot.  Add
enough water so that approximately 1/2 - 3/4 of mixture is covered.
Salt and pepper to taste.  Cover.  Cook on high at least one hour.
Leave on low setting for the rest of Shabbat.


SAUSAGE CHOLENT

2 cups chick peas
2 lbs beef (stew meat)
1 onion, chopped
water
3 carrots, diced
1 1/2 inch sausage, diced
salt & pepper (to taste)

Soak the chick peas overnight.  Drain and add the water.  Simmer on
low heat for about an hour.  Add the remaining ingredients and
continue as in recipes above.


PINE NUT CHOLENT

2 cups ground beef
1 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
dash of cinnamon
salt & pepper (to taste)
cooking oil
grape juice (as desired)

Add the chopped green peppers, dash of cinnamon and salt and
pepper to the meat and stir in the pine nuts.  Brown in oil and sprinkle
with grape juice.  Wrap in foild and place in any cholent.


CHICKEN AND KASHA (Buckwheat) CHOLENT

1 cup kasha, whole
1 chicken
2 onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
oil
salt & pepper (to taste)

In a 4 quart pot saute the onions and celery in oil.  Add chicken and
steam for 30-45 minutes.  Add kasha, seasonings and water.  Cook
for approximately 20 minutes over medium heat.  Before Shabbat,
add hot water to pot so that kasha doesn't dry out overnight.


FRUITED CHOLENT

2 lbs. brisket (cut into chunks)
1 lb. yellow turnips and/or carrots
1 lb. potatoes
juice of 1 lemon
1 lb. prunes
salt & pepper (to taste) 5 T honey
water

In a heavy saucepan, arrange the meat with the turnips, potatoes and
prunes.  Mix together the salt and pepper, honey and lemon juice and
add to the meat mixture.  Add sufficient water to cover the meat and
vegetables.  Cover, bring to a boil and then cook over low heat
several hours and let it remain to simmer over Shabbat.

You may substitute sweet potatoes for turnips, dried apricots for
prunes and brown sugar for honey.


EGYPTIAN CHOLENT -- HAMIM FERIK

2 lbs. beef (cut into chunks)
2 cups cracked wheat
6 eggs, unshelled
salt & pepper (to taste)
2 cloves garlic
water

Brown the meat in a heavy pot.  Put it on a bed of wheat and
surround with the eggs in their shells.  Put in the seasoning and garlic
and cover with water.  Bring to a slow boil.  Cover tightly and place
in oven.


MOROCCAN CHOLENT -- SCHEENA

1 lb chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
6-7 pitted dates, or, 2 T brown sugar
2 lbs. beef, cut into chunks
10-15 small red potatoes, peeled
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut up
8-10 eggs in their shells
1 1/2 cups rice
1 t saffron
1/4 cup oil + 1/4 cup oil
2 heads of garlic, cloves separated and peeled

Layer the first 5 ingredients in the given order, salt and pepper to
taste, add 1/4 cup oil and 3/4 of the garlic cloves.  Add water to level
of eggs.  Wash and drain rice.  Put the rice in a small bowl or in a
pocket made of tin foil.  Add saffron, salt and pepper, the rest of the
garlic cloves and the second 1/4 cup of oil.  Cover with water and
place in a corner of the pan amongst the other ingredients.  If using a
crock pot, cook on high for the next 3 hours.  Then on low until the
next day, or in a slow oven.  Add water if necessary.


IRAQI CHOLENT

1 cup lima beans
1 chicken, cup up (3-4 lbs)
1/2  cup rice
10 large tomatoes, diced
3 T oil for frying
dash of cinnamon and cardamon
salt & pepper (to taste)
5 medium potatoes
water to cover

Fry the rice in the oil until golden.  Add four of the diced tomatoes
with a dash of cinnamon, cardamon and salt.  Put the washed and
soaked beans in a pot with the chicken.  Surround with potatoes.
Sprinkle with cinnamon, cardamon, salt and pepper.  Top with the
remaining tomatoes.  Cover with water.  Cover well and simmer
overnight.


DEATH BY CHOLENT

2 lbs. chuck (cubed)
1 lb. onion (chopped)
8-10 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (more, if you love garlic)
1-2 cans of your favorite beer (probably 2)
1 lb. mixed beans
1 deli kishka roll (stuffed derma), cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 lb. pastrami (optional, but don't leave it out)
6 potatoes, peeled and quartered
2-3 T oil
1 t paprika
salt & pepper (to taste)
water to cover

Saute onions and garlic in oil until translucent and remove.  Brown
meat.  Add sauteed onions and garlic and remaining ingredients and
put in a large dutch oven.  Hmmm ... the aroma alone will "kill" you!