What's the secret to a good cholent?

There’s no one word solution. First, let your husband into the kitchen and tell him to add what HE wants on top of the regular stuff. Chances are he’s already got some pretty good ideas of his own.

Otherwise, my family puts in hot dogs, deli meat, ketchup and paprika. I know someone who puts in loads of garlic and it comes out fantastic. I know people who put in beer, bbq sauce, hot pepper flakes, Coke, and peas. (Not all at the same time, don’t worry.)

Just experiment, and eventually you’ll hit your zivug :).

Popa does not concur with many cholent makers.

Popa thinks that the makings of a good cholent are:

Simplicity,

Time,

Flanken.

Simplicity: Just put in potatoes, barley, beans, onion, flanken ends, salt, pepper, garlic. v’zehu.

Time: Put it up thursday night.

Flanken: Buy flanken ends (they’re relatively cheap). If you can’t find those, then get neck bones and also add some oil.

I always put in one eight ounce can of tomato sauce.

Marrow bones absolutely make the cholent delicious! (Not very good for cholesterol, however!)

Mod 18, you can’t agree with popa and then add onion soup mix. That’s as silly as adding a can of chicken soup to your chicken soup. Don’t over season the cholent because it will overpower the actual taste of the dish. However, I do a cholent similar to Popa but have little or no beans. You can try premium chuck instead of flankin; after hours of simmering it’s as good as or better than flankin. Also bury some turkey pupik and cheek meat in the mixture, and lay a chicken feesil and turkey neck across the top. Try it and you will repeat. Ketchup; tomato sauce; feh!

I have heard of and even tried most of the above ingredients in my cholent and enjoyed them all. It also depends a lot on whether you use gas or electric to heat it, how long it is on the heat for, and how much liquid you have in it (yekkish borne zuppe or chassidish stodge).

These are all ideas for a GOOD cholent. For a SUCCESSFUL cholent however there is but one factor: having none or at least limited kiddushim in the neighborhood on shabbos morning… ☺ ☺ ☺

Time, time, time! I put mine up before davening on Friday morning, and I daven at the 6:00 Shacharis. So it’s going a good 30 hours.

Does nobody else have a problem that her husband says “He’s tasted better”?

Coco cola & sweet potatoes!

MCP, I also noticed the “He’s tasted better” and didn’t like that but figured he meant that I like yours but I’ve tasted others that I like a drop better. No husband (in his right mind) would make such a comment if he expects his wife to cook for him.

a little jack daniels

Mi sheochal BeShabbos yitroch BeMotzei Shabbos

my grandmother used to put in those long hot dogs(in slices) which i used to love. I did not like to eat the egg that she would put in the chulent though. ew!

Well if your chulent is too watery, my first suggestion would be less water.

Other than that, the only secrets to a good chulent are this:

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/whats-the-secret-to-a-good-cholent/#post-870621

and this:

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/whats-the-secret-to-a-good-cholent/#post-870625

Perhaps you need some more fat? Add some good meats and marrow/neck bones.

My mother, A”H, was raised in a frum household in Germany before the war and didn’t have the minhag of chulent, widely considered the sine qua non of Shabbos observance (in her town, at least, they served some other hot food on Shabbos). So, i never experienced “chulent” until I went to yeshiva in Israel after high school. When I finally did taste it, I thought I had gone to heaven; it was the best thing I had ever eaten (I still feel that way).

But, I’ve since learned that different families like different consistencies and ingredients than the way those Hungarian cooks prepared it and I am no longer as shocked when a benevolent host serves a variation (a deviation?) at Shabbos lunch (not as shocked, perhaps, but none too thrilled, either).

Fortunately, I’ve also absorbed some good manners over the years and try not to react negatively even to maichal ben drusaee. I probably won’t ask for seconds, though. 🙂

For those who are mehadrim on a low-fat, low-starch, low-sodium diet, consider substituting a firm tofu for about half the meat you would ordinarily use and trim the fat from the real meat you do use. Also consider adding some whole grains and carrots for some of the beans and potatoes. Finally, there are some excellent salt substitutes that add real flavor but don’t adversely affect your blood pressure. There is NO chiyuv do use unhealthy ingredients in you chulent nor must you use meat so be creative if you want to enhance your physical well being aka “ushamartem es nafshosechem”

I like to add a bit of smoked paprika.

And mix up the beans a little for variety and experimentation. So in addition to the traditional “Chulent mix” how about adding some black eyed peas or large lima beans? See what works for your family.

And if your husband “never” criticizes your cooking, he’s not being open and honest. If he always criticizes your food, you probably need couple’s counseling…

bmyer, i totally agree with that! that’s a great idea especially those who grew up with Uncle Moishy

gadolhadorah:
consider substituting a firm tofu for about half the meat you would ordinarily use and trim the fat from the real meat you do use. Also consider adding some whole grains and carrots for some of the beans and potatoes. Finally, there are some excellent salt substitutes that add real flavor but don’t adversely affect your blood pressure. There is NO chiyuv do use unhealthy ingredients in you chulent nor must you use meat so be creative if you want to enhance your physical well being aka “ushamartem es nafshosechem”

When you layer chumrah on chumrah, at some point you discourage those who want to comply with the spirit of staying healthy, (and ultimately for many other mitzvos)< from making the effort since it seems so difficult or hopeless from their initial perspective. Yes, being compliant with mitzvos was not meant to be “easy” but nor was it brought down by chazal that we should use every opportunity to make it more difficult than otherwise necessary.

Mod-29, for a while you’ve been assuming the worst about me and my posts, but you’ve really jumped the gun this time.

Mocking? I was not mocking anybody. Frankly, I am quite offended that at the charge (not that I think you care). Just because you believe that a particular point is “important, relevant and necessary” does not justify you using your moderator pulpit to denigrate those who argue with that said point.

The point I was trying to make was:

There is no chiyuv to use tofu, carrots, and whole grains in one’s cholent.
There is chiyuv not to endanger one’s life.

GH was trying to emphasize the importance of staying healthy. But she fell into the very same trap that she just pointed out – namely, “layering churmra on chumra” to the point that what she is advocating is simply not realistic for most people, and if anything, may make people think that eating healthy is not something that is attainable.

I know, the cannibalism vibe there makes me uncomfortable too.

Is it worth it to get slow cooker just for Shabbos?

Then again maybe getting one just got Shabbos will show me how awesome they are and then I will end up using it more often and it will be wonderful?

It just seems like it would take up a lot of counter space, and my cabinet storage is prob not an option.

Can you make chulent in a veggie streamer rice cooker? It turns the cooker part off after the liquid is dried up and then keeps the food warm all Shabbos. Though if the food is thicker soupy like chulent it may just burn at the bottom, and then turn off automatically while the food is still liquidy.

Thank you 🙂

The art of cholent making is complex because it changes from season to season and from seasoning to seasoning.