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traditional cholent from The Jewish Kitchen
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Traditional Cholent

This traditional, slow-cooking stew is a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal that truly satisfies. It can be made overnight or in a just a few hour with our modified version. No matter how your prepare it, the meat and potatoes will turn out fork tender, savory, and delicious.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Jewish
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 1 day 18 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 3-4 lbs. Kosher chuck roast or brisket, cut into large pieces (ask your butcher to cut it for you)
  • 1 lb. dried lima beans
  • 3 large onions, cut into chunks
  • 4 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 3 lbs. small potatoes, peeled
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp. flour or corn starch
  • Kosher salt, pepper and paprika
  • boiling water to cover the meat

Instructions

  1. Soak beans overnight and drain next day. In a Dutch oven, brown onions in hot oil on medium heat. Remove onions and set aside.
  2. Rub the meat with a combination of salt, pepper and paprika and then brown the meat in the same pot that you browned the onions.
  3. While the onions were browning, in a separate pot, start to boil enough water to cover the meat.
  4. When the meat is browned, add the lima beans, garlic, potatoes, and bay leaf, onions and mix together. Add the flour at the end. Pour boiling water over the mixture just to cover it. Cover the pot tightly and bring to a boil.
  5. At this stage you can do one of two things: 1) If you wish to cook overnight to observe Sabbath guidelines of no cooking, heat oven to 400 degrees and set a rack to accommodate your Dutch Oven. Place Dutch oven into the oven and reduce heat to 250 and cook overnight until noon the next day, OR: 2) Continue to cook on the stove for 3-4 hours on low heat. You may need to add a little water now and then to maintain a gravy-like consistency with the meat (check the meat every hour or so), stirring occasionally.