Cholent without cholent meat?

Posted: Wed, Jan 11 2012, 9:52 am Post subject: Cholent without cholent meat?

I usually use meat in my cholent, but I am out of it and don't want to buy more until next week. I am looking for ideas to do instead in my crrockpot. I do have chopped meat and a whole, frozen, turkey drumstick. Can I make cholent with any of these? I thought of a crockpot potato kugel, but can I do that with chopped meat? Any other ideas? Leaving soup on overnight is doable, but then I need a whole main course that often doesn't really get eaten. Usually, cholent is pretty much all I serve as the main course.Thanks for any ideas!

Posted: Wed, Jan 11 2012, 9:53 am Post subject:

Chicken or Turkey will work

Posted: Wed, Jan 11 2012, 9:54 am Post subject:

Personally, I would use the ground meat if it is beef. I am not a fan of how poultry tastes in cholent. Smile

If you don't mind the flavor it is a different story though.
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Liba, mommy to Zlata Tova 5/6/98, Tziporah Faiga 1/12/01, Esther Rivka 7/13/04 and Avraham Chaim 7/2/2006

Posted: Wed, Jan 11 2012, 9:55 am Post subject:

Liba how would u use the ground meat (just curious)

Posted: Wed, Jan 11 2012, 9:58 am Post subject:

I would either cook up the cholent and then add meatballs raw or make spicy meatballs, saute them in a bit of oil, onions and garlic then add the rest of my cholent ingredients, potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, salt, pepper, paprika, put in water to cover and cook as if it were meat.

Silver Member Joined: Mar 26 2009 Posts: 947

Maybe a meatball soup of some kind?

Posted: Wed, Jan 11 2012, 10:01 am Post subject:

my mother would occasionaly put in a turkey drumstick into the cholent, it was pretty good!

if you want to use ground meat, maybe put it into a netted soup bag...

I personally like chicken much more than meat.

I would probably take the turkey before the meat.

Posted: Wed, Jan 11 2012, 11:08 am Post subject:

Platinum Member Joined: Apr 12 2010 Posts: 5777

You can put meatballs,
chicken pulkes
or nothing (pareve.)
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Gold Member Joined: Oct 09 2011 Posts: 1068

chopped meat can be great if you make sure to add plenty of oil and spices.

Posted: Wed, Jan 11 2012, 1:14 pm Post subject:

I haven't done it, but I think the meatballs should likely be cooked before they are put into the cholent. If I were making meatball cholent I would adapt a Swedish Meatball recipe.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs, about 3 slices bread
1 tablespoon dried minced onion or 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup water
2 pounds ground beef
4 tablespoons oil

Combine bread crumbs, onion, salt, pepper, and 3/4 cup water in a large mixing bowl. Let milk soak into crumbs for a few minutes. Gently stir in ground beef until well blended; form into balls about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Brown meatballs in oil in a large skillet; remove with a slotted spoon to a 2 1/2-quart baking dish (or cholent pot).

Smile

that is what I would do. It is more work, but I think it is more likely to succeed.

Executive Member Joined: Dec 26 2010 Posts: 351

Some people put hot dogs in their cholent insteadof meat. My mil always uses chicken drumsticks in cholent instead of meat.

I know you didn't list this as one of the options, but I find that chicken gizzards (pupiks) taste GREAT in the cholent. THey get really soft and delicious, and the cholent as a whole doesn't come out as greasy as with real meat. Plus, they are much cheaper than cholent meat!

my mother in law does chicken and rice (white rice, she cooks it first) and everyone loves it. my husband doesnt even eat chulent with meat anymore, he only likes the chicken...

either season and form the ground meat into small tight meatballs and drop them into bubbling cholent (add them once the cholent is already hot and cooking, and made sure they are covered by liquid when they are first added)

or else add seasoned dark meat chicken with the skin intact to the top of the cholent. do not push it down under the liquid. let it sit on top and cook. remove with spatula right before serving, being careful it doesn't fall apart. pull off skin and serve.

if you're ok with parve cholent, cholent with beans, barley, fresh onion and garlic, and chunks of carrots is delicious.
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Silver Member Joined: May 19 2009 Posts: 560

I made this a few weeks ago for the first time & it was a big hit with my family. I make my cholent in a crock-pot. I put in 1 cup of brown rice. I find the wild rice mixes are less mushy in the cholent than regular rice. Then I put in my raw meatballs (chopped meat, 1 egg, 1 chopped onion, w.w. matza meal, onion powder & garlic powder.). I used a little over 1 pound of chopped meat. I poured a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce on top. Covered everything with water. Sprinkled some onion & garlic powder.

It came out amazing. My DH was a little sceptical but even he told me I could make it again. The meatballs held together & the rice & sauce had cholent like taste.

Good luck!

Posted: Wed, Jan 11 2012, 10:05 pm Post subject:

Thank you all so much! I'll decide what exactly to do and will b"n let you know the results.

Executive Member Joined: Jan 25 2011 Posts: 377

if you make a meatless cholent (only beans and barley) spice it only with sautee onions and garlic, salt and pepper and add 2 or 3 bay leaves. it'll be delicious. if u have some leftovers on sunday, cook some rice for rice + beans.