Traditional Chulent

Traditional Chulent

Talia Cohen
My mom taught me how to make this chulent and I woke up to its armor every winter shabbat morning growing up. It warms my heart and my belly!
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Origin Poland with spicy twist
Servings 4 + people depending on appetite and other courses

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup beans soaked
  • 1 cup barley
  • 1 potato per person, peeled
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Red pepper flakes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Thyme
  • Chile powder/creole seasoning
  • Paprika
  • 1 tsp of beef soup mix per cup of water
  • 2 lbs of chuck roast or more depending on size of crock pot and how many people you are serving preferably with bone; if no bone, add marrow bones
  • 1 Kishka
  • 1 spicy sausage per person I prefer Jack’s, but any sausage works and any flavor
  • 1 egg
  • 1 jachnun watch it so it doesn’t get soggy; goal is to get it dark brown

Instructions
 

  • Line the bottom of a crock pot with beans and barley. Layer rest of ingredients. Meat goes last and then add seasonings.
  • Add water until at least 3/4 of crock pot is full.
  • Turn crock pot on low and let it cook. I tend to turn on crock pot on Friday before shabbat so that it is cooking overnight and ready to be served when we get home from shul on Shabbat day. B'teavon!
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Chulent

Chulent

Joel HaberJoel Haber
This is the recipe that I grew up with. Though mymom didn’t like to eat chulent, she was kind enough to make it for therest of us. And much of what my mother cooked for holidays and Shabbat wasbased on what her mother (from Galicia, the region that spanned southernPoland, Austria-Hungary, and Ukraine) cooked. This is the basic recipe, butover the years I have made numerous substitutions and additions at differenttimes. See the notes for a few options.
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Origin Poland, United States
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup barley
  • 1 cup beans (any variety or a mix)
  • 2 onions peeled, and cut into quarters
  • 3-4 medium potatoes cleaned and cut into chunks (optional: peeled)
  • 3-4 marrow bones
  • 1½-2¼ lbs beef (or 3 lbs flanken on the bones, or a combo) cut into chunks
  • 2 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • My mother insisted on placing the ingredients into her slow-cooker in the following order: barley, beans, onions, potatoes, bones and beef. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on top and add water to cover. She claimed the meat flavor would then permeate the barley better.
  • Bottom line, No fancy steps here. Just add all of the ingredients to the pot and cook overnight, using any standard method (slow-cooker, stovetop, or oven).

Notes

  • Common in America are the use of barbecue sauce or ketchup for flavoring.
  • Some use beer in place of all or part of the water. I don’t taste a noticeable difference.
  • I have replaced barley with buckwheat (kasha) as the (equally traditional) grain. The result is slightly lighter, a bit sweeter, oddly somewhat smoky, and gluten free for those who need it.
  • Add in a peeled turnip, cut into chunks, and/or 1-2 chopped carrots. Both will add a bit of sweetness into the overall dish.
  • For an earthier flavor, a handful of mushrooms, or some rehydrated and cut up dried wild mushrooms can be a good addition.
  • All-beef hotdogs in addition to, or in place of part of the meat add a nice smoky taste.
  • Popular “bonus food” additions include a kishke or small potato kugel cooked inside the chulent. Wrap in foil and puncture with a fork before resting on top of the stew.
  • Other possible flavorings include: garlic cloves or powder, black pepper, paprika, sugar, honey or prunes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!