Need good step by step chulent recipe for first timer ASAP

Posted: Fri, Apr 04 2008, 10:28 am Post subject:

btw cook it on a higher temp for about 2 hours ... then lower it or you will have charcoal for shabbos ...

and why eat it thursday - isn't shabbos enough ...
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don't wonder why people go crazy ... rather wonder why we don't
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NUTso but cute ~ things balance out Nervous

Posted: Fri, Apr 04 2008, 10:39 am Post subject:

Um, I make it Thursday morning so the party can go on until Shabbos! We eat and eat form it until there’s nothing left.
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Chulent is not a science... It is an art.
By WIF

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 27 2005 Posts: 6744

Posted: Sun, Apr 06 2008, 9:35 am Post subject:

I want to hear the end of your Cholent saga.

Ok so I cooked it in a pot of the stove and then friday afternoon I moved the chulent to my crockpot and kept it on low. I tasted it while I was moving it and the beans were still raw. Then I put in a piece of kishka in aluminum foil and a piece of kugel in a separate foil. So on shabbos morning when I brought out the chulent at 3 o clock there was an inch thick layer of burnt chulent on top but under that it wasn't burnt except a drop on one side but the beans were still hard!! Anyways, the kishka and kugel were still good and we had left over tongue from friday night so we didnt go hungry.
What am I doing wrong thats preventing my beans from cooking?
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Posted: Sun, Apr 06 2008, 2:34 pm Post subject:

did the cholent have enough water ???

Diamond Member Joined: Apr 03 2006 Posts: 4473

Sounds like you need to add more water...
it'll take a few tries until you get the water right.

you need to babysit that pot. Put it up first thing in the morning and keep adding water as needed. It should NOT be on a small flame. Medium to high is important. All that bubbling does the cooking but at the risk of needing more water constantly. It should be cooked after about 8 hours. Then, erev Shabbos you need to double your water to allow the overnight cooking to sink in. Next week, try cooking it on high all the time, checking every hour for water.

The problem was that my crock pot is too small to add any more water. I'm just gonna get a bigger crock pot and try again after pesach.
What's a good crock pot?

Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 20496

How big is the crockpot? Potpourri size? Or a decent 6 qts or more?

Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 20496

what's wrong w/cooking the beans before everything else????
I think to keep adding water takes away all the seasonings?!
cook the beans first then follow whoever's recipe u went with.
after cooking everything fully before shabbos,then fill up w/water and dotn put the beans on the bottom of the pot bc it will soak up all the water put it on top.
I dont think u need another crockpot,also is the top sealed closed???sometimes that contributes to a dried out cholent.

fyi
if u see its getting dried out by shabbos day,just before serving u can add hot water from the urn directly into the crockpot.

Posted: Tue, Apr 08 2008, 2:44 pm Post subject:

okay ... so who will you be feeding all that cholent that will fit into this new over-sized crockpot ... ?!?!?!

and I can't resist a good Nervous

or

Diamond Member Joined: Feb 15 2007 Posts: 3241

I started a new topic by accident instead of replying - it's called "Maybe for next week" I really need some sleep!

I think the OP wanted to know why the beans were still hard -

When you add salt to beans, they stop softening (this is what I have heard, and its been supported by personal experience) So, cook your beans without salt (or ketchup or atomato sauce, or anything else cotaining salt) until they are pretty soft, then add salt.

Diamond Member Joined: Apr 03 2006 Posts: 4473

The whole point of a crockpot IMO, is that you can just throw everything in, turn it on and walk away. So if you have a small crockpot, then you can only make a small chulent. Water is critical, you need to be able to at least cover all the ingredients with water. If you make your chulent early in the day friday, then you have to add a lot more water then that, or add more water before shabbos (it won't dilute the taste don't worry we aren't talking about so much water).
I have a mini crockpot that I make when it is just DH and me and I can only put in 1 potato, half a steak- cut up, one onion and about 1 cup of barley + seasonings, because I need to leave enough room for the water!! Its a perfect amount for 2 people.

Gold Member Joined: Sep 22 2009 Posts: 1745