Cholent

[bloviatrix]

Meanwhile, since I'm the non-traditionalist, I'm making a beef stew.

Mmmmm, stew.

Use a bottle of beer for part of your liquid -- and chicken broth for the remainder. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm Irish, and my people are really picky about their stew. Beer and broth make a fabulous tasting Irish stew. (Don't forget to dredge the meat in flor and brown first!)

Oh. Now I want stew.

You all are so bad for me. I'm going to weigh 1100 pounds!

I took your suggestion and dredged the beef in flour and used beer instead of the usual red wine. No chicken stock (I finished it up making soup). It was really good. And we used lots of challah to mop up the sauce. Plus, there were left-overs. Bonus!!

[JFLinLA]

My mother's Passover "noodles" were indeed julienne omelet. Although she might have added a smidge of matzo or cake meal for body.

My first experience with kosher l'Pesach imitation noodles some years ago was disastrous! Dropped them into the soup and they disintegrated ... only evidence that I had put them in? White "powdery" goop on the bottom ... this year I see they have reinvented the concept ... a few wheat pastas now available ... me? I'll do without pasta for the full eight days, thank you!

My MIL makes Passover noodles from eggs and potato starch. I suppose I'll have to learn how.

Grandma Yetta (z"l) told me stories of being a little girl in Poland and carrying the cholent pot to the town baker on Friday afternoon (I guess). Each of the townspeople would leave their pots overnight and retrieve them on Saturday afternoon. At least that's how I remember the story.

[Gifted Gourmet]

My MIL makes Passover noodles from eggs and potato starch.  I suppose I'll have to learn how.

Grandma Yetta (z"l) told me stories of being a little girl in Poland and carrying the cholent pot to the town baker on Friday afternoon (I guess).  Each of the townspeople would leave their pots overnight and retrieve them on Saturday afternoon.  At least that's how I remember the story.

If your MIL is making this type of omelet to cut into strips, she may be observing the tradition of "gebroks" ... particularly if she omits matzo flour in the prep ... please ask her if that is why .. I will wager it is ... me? I eschew faux noodles for the eight days because I prefer matzo balls by far!

The story from your grandmother Yetta which you recall very accurately, is pretty much "on target" as far as an explanation of how cholent was prepared in many small towns in Poland ... possibly even in the mythical "Anatevka" as well .... Much easier today, of course!

[jackal10]

possibly even in the mythical "Anatevka"

And in Chelm, as made famous by Isaac Bashevis Singer ?

[Gifted Gourmet]

possibly even in the mythical "Anatevka"

And in Chelm, as made famous by Isaac Bashevis Singer ?

A distinct possibility ... Chelm, hmmmm...

Jewish History/Literature/Cooking .... all entwined in one steaming pot of cholent ...

Rabbi Ribeye, inevitably, says it even better, of course ...

The lid is lifted, the mystical pillar of vapor ascends, and we are transported back to Sinai, to Jerusalem, to Anatevka, to dingy tenements on Delancey Street, and simultaneously forward to the long-awaited Messianic era.

Edited March 22, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[bloviatrix]

Blovie made a cholent for shabbos this week (we're trying to finish the potatoes, pre-pesach). His new experiment was to add some Tabasco. I don't think it made a difference as the potato and barley sucked up all the flavor. There was a wee bit of heat at the end. He bought a strip of flanken, off the bone, which he cubed. This was excellent soft, melty meat. Gives nice flavor. I wanted to add pastrami ends but he was against it.

If the best judge of cholent quality is the schluf afterwards, I'll give this one a perfect score. My nap lasted 4 hours.

BTW, beer is a really good accompaniment for cholent. They're flavor buddies (we had the Ommegang Rare Vos)

Edited March 28, 2004 by bloviatrix (log)

[texesser]

Chronic problems I find with cholent:

1. How to get the moisture just right, not too watery and not burned.

2. How to get it to taste as good as it sometimes does in shul.

I think the secret to good shul cholent is lotsa meat, lotsa beef fat in the meat, and lots of salt.

At home, I like to sear the meat, onions, and potatoes. I think that caramelization adds flavor. I also add beer.

Regarding lamb, which was mentioned in an earlier post, I frequently use lamb shanks successfully.

[bloviatrix]

Welcome to egullet, texesser.

I'm totally with you on the type of meat. The fat is important for adding flavor and richness. And the salt is an issue because all the starches suck it up like a spong.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Isn't the fat all about "mouthfeel" really??

Time to stow the cholent pot and dig out the Pesachdik equipment ... not unlike "springbreak" but without the beer and bikinis ...

[Comfort Me]

Time to stow the cholent pot and dig out the Pesachdik equipment ... not unlike "springbreak" but without the beer and bikinis ...

Gifted:

Whatever do you mean? Certainly I can't be the only one who pulled out the stove and refrigerator last night drinking an Old Style and wearing nothing but my Speedo and some baby oil!

[Gifted Gourmet]

Gifted:

Whatever do you mean?  Certainly I can't be the only one who pulled out the stove and refrigerator last night drinking an Old Style and wearing nothing but my Speedo and some baby oil!

Ah, the visual on this, Aidan!!

The Pesachdik Speedo .... Isn't this one of those long forgotten mitzvot?

Like "thou shalt dress in a manner appropriate to destroy the chametz from the folds of thy garments"??

[Comfort Me]

Gifted:

Whatever do you mean?  Certainly I can't be the only one who pulled out the stove and refrigerator last night drinking an Old Style and wearing nothing but my Speedo and some baby oil!

Ah, the visual on this, Aidan!!

The Pesachdik Speedo .... Isn't this one of those long forgotten mitzvot?

Like "thou shalt dress in a manner appropriate to destroy the chametz from the folds of thy garments"??

OK -- no folds in MY speedo!

Above it, maybe. But I fill the suit itself out just fine!

Oh, I've been so involved in getting ready for Pesach that I haven't laughed like this in probably a week.

Thank you EVERYONE for giving me a wonderful day!

[bloviatrix]

It's a good thing the area around the computer has undergone Pesach cleaning, because otherwise I would have spewed some food on the keyboard laughing so hard.

Thanks guys. I needed that.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Thanks guys.  I needed that. 

Thus fulfilling another little known mitzvah.... keep 'em laughing!!

actually laughter is a part of pikuach nefesh, my petit chaverim, no??

[Comfort Me]

We had Shabbas lunch yesterday at the Hyde Park Chabad House, having been invited by the Rabbi and rebbetzin. We had a wonderful time -- and a wonderful pesadick cholent! Potatoes, sweet potatoes, onion, meat (flanken, I think) -- but no beans or barley, of course. I've gotta say, it was one of the best cholents I've ever had! It was fairly wet, plenty salty, and the meat melted like butter! The Rabbi's brother and his wife and family were visiting -- they have a Chabad House in suburban Denver -- and all our kids melded pretty well. It made for long lines at the sink waiting to wash hands (I always hang back to cut down on the silent time between washing and saying Motzi!) but took great joy in watching 3 year old Esti wipe her hands and say the bracha!

Today I slow-cooked two chuck roasts with chili sauce, LOTS of onions, red pepper flakes, herbs and red wine. Delicious today, and the leftovers will be good for dinner tomorrow when my MIL will be here. I'm wondering if I can make the same thing like a cholent -- put all the ingredients (and a few potatoes) into a dutch oven, bring to the boil on top of the stove, then put in the oven at 210 degrees.

Edited April 11, 2004 by Comfort Me (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

I'm wondering if I can make the same thing like a cholent -- put all the ingredients (and a few potatoes) into a dutch oven, bring to the boil on top of the stove, then put in the oven at 210 degrees.

Why not? Makes perfect sense to me! I have some of my initial brisket still left and will revive it for the last two days of the holiday ...

Your Chabad Shabbos sounded terrific!

Be of good cheer and soon there will be chocolate chocolate challah to revel in!!

Hag sameach, Aidan, to you and your loved ones!!

[Comfort Me]

I'm wondering if I can make the same thing like a cholent -- put all the ingredients (and a few potatoes) into a dutch oven, bring to the boil on top of the stove, then put in the oven at 210 degrees.

Why not? Makes perfect sense to me! I have some of my initial brisket still left and will revive it for the last two days of the holiday ...

Your Chabad Shabbos sounded terrific!

Be of good cheer and soon there will be chocolate chocolate challah to revel in!!

Hag sameach, Aidan, to you and your loved ones!!

And many happy returns, deares Gifted!

May the blessings of freedom and peace be yours in this season and throughout the year.

Made some really good Mock chopped liver today -- a double batch to get us through til after Pesach! Added a little red pepper flakes -- not enough for a kick, but enough that it brightened it up. I recently discovered that my wife, who won't eat liver to save her soul, enjoys the mock spread made with eggplant. (I'm not a fan of eggplant, but the mock liver is palateable and it makes matzah almost edible.)

[Turtleboy]

When I was at Brandeis I lived with a guy in a group house who always made the best Cholent every shabbos for all of us (he was observant, I was not). He would put Kishke in there, along with onion soup powder, plus the usual meat, beans, barley, etc.

I have to ask him what else there was.

Chag Semach everyone, and L'Shana Haba B'Yerushalim.

[clothier]

And has the introduction of time clocks on stoves led to the decline of cholent?

We went cholentless for over a year when we first bought our condo because the oven that came with the condo, which we painstakingly kashered, had some sort of vekachteh auto-off feature where it turned itself off after 12 hours. We couldn't afford to buy a new stove, so we made do with stuff that could be kept on the blech. But that eliminated so many of my favorites -- kubbanah, dafina, hamin, lamb stew, etc.

Then the old stove started acting up. (Isn't that a coinkydink, as my Grandmother would say! It's amazing what a man can do with a screwdriver!) I convinced my wife that it wasn't worth spending money on a repairman, so we immediately started searching for a stove that didn't automatically turn off the oven. The first shabbat with the new oven brought us kubbanah and dafina, even though it was April.

How do you kasher an oven?

thanks!

[Gifted Gourmet]

How do you kasher an oven?

thanks!

More information than you may ever need .. but you did ask:

http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-passover-kashering.htm

[Comfort Me]

I was opporating under the "No Cholent after Pesach" rule -- sortof like "No White After Labor Day". This weekend, though, is chilly, wet, and perfect cholent weather.

I'm jonesin' for cholent and don't have any shortribs or flanken in the house. Can you say "S.O.L."?

[Gifted Gourmet]

So, make it parve ... not exactly the same, but definitely worth considering when the urge for cholent strikes ... and, no, you are not S.O.L. You have my sympathy, but only if you make me a loaf of your chocolate-chocolate challah!

[Comfort Me]

Whassamattawidchu? Somebody break your arm? Make you own chocolate challah! It always tastes better when you make it yourself -- YOU know that!

Yeah -- I could make a parve, but eehhh. Why bother. It doesn't have the same "comfort" quotient.

Plus, because of a hectic afternoon (dentist appointment for 7 year old) I'm having a dairy Shabbas dinner -- homemade macaroni and cheese (made with sharp cheddar and gruyer) red cabbage and apples, a big salad, and a pineapple upside down cake. All I'll have to do when I get home is make the cake and put the mac in the oven.

Lunch tomorrow is chicken soup, chicken salad, lima bean salad, challah with whipped honey, and "garbage" cookies.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Yeah -- I could make a parve, but eehhh. Why bother. It doesn't have the same "comfort" quotient.

.... I'm having a dairy Shabbas dinner -- homemade macaroni and cheese (made with sharp cheddar and gruyer) red cabbage and apples, a big salad, and a pineapple upside down cake. All I'll have to do when I get home is make the cake and put the mac in the oven.

Lunch tomorrow is chicken soup, chicken salad, lima bean salad, challah with whipped honey, and "garbage" cookies.

Would you consider taking in a boarder????

I can wash dishes to repay you for this magnificent weekend of dining!!

[bloviatrix]

If you feel like a hoping a plane to NYC, I'm pretty sure my shul will be serving cholent at tomorrow's kiddush.