Name: The Hirshon Gourmet Ashkenazi Cholent and Cucumber Salad - טשאָלענט און קוקומבער סאַלאַט
Ingredients: Cholent Meats:; 2 lb. Kosher short ribs with bone – flanken-cut to 2 inches wide; 12 oz. Jack’s® Gourmet Kosher Beef Kielbasa Sausage (if unavailable, replace with equivalent of boneless short rib or oxtail); 1 lb. Kosher oxtail (if unavailable, replace with short rib or sausage if you prefer – but it REALLY works well in this recipe!); ***; Cholent Meat Seasoning:; 2 ½ Tbsp. Tunisian Harissa (WILDLY optional – but TFD very much enjoy the heat it brings! TFD endorses only Zwita brand!); 2 Tbsp. Yemenite Hawaiij seasoning (WILDLY optional, omit for original!); 1 tsp. Accent (WILDLY optional, but recommended); 3 Tbsp. white miso (WILDLY optional TFD addition, omit for original and replace with kosher salt to taste); 10 cloves garlic, pounded (the pre-peeled garlic in quantity is recommended – Asian markets have the best quality!); Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; ***; 4 marrow bones (this adds huge flavor and the removed marrow is eaten on toast with kosher salt; 8 eggs—boiled first for 5 minutes to protect from breaking while slow-cooking. (Shells stay on until the cholent is done) – try duck eggs, If you can find them, they’re TFD’s favorite – use 6 in that case; 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut in big chunks – peel the potatoes a few hours before you start cooking, and just leave them in the open air (do not cover with water). They will grow unappealing black spots, that will disappear after cooking, so don’t worry about it. The potatoes will taste sweeter and will have a heavier and nicer texture!; 1 cup crumbled dried porcini mushrooms (optional but strongly recommended!); 1 large brown onion, quartered (to cook as is); 1 large leek, white and light green part only, cut lengthwise, washed and thinly sliced; 4 carrots, peeled and sliced; 2 large peeled brown onions (diced to sauté with beans/grains); 8 Tbsp. corn or sunflower oil, divided; 1 cup dry pinto beans (they must be dry, not canned – because if you cook canned for so many hours, they’ll turn into mush); 1 cup barley; 1 ½ cup einkorn berries (Optional but recommended TFD change, original was wheat berries – TFD ONLY ENDORSES GRAND TETON ANCIENT GRAINS BRAND!); 10 cloves garlic, pounded (the pre-peeled garlic in quantity is recommended – Asian markets have the best quality!); bottled water or beef stock, as needed (stock should be homemade or low-salt – this is TFD’s strong preference!); ⅛ cup Kitchen Bouquet; 2 tsp. tomato paste; 3 tsp. Elixir Végétal de la Grande-Chatreuse (WILDLY optional TFD addition, omit for original)

Ingredients

Units Scale

Cholent Meats:
2 lb. Kosher short ribs with bone - flanken-cut to 2 inches wide
12 oz. Jack's® Gourmet Kosher Beef Kielbasa Sausage (if unavailable, replace with equivalent of boneless short rib or oxtail)
1 lb. Kosher oxtail (if unavailable, replace with short rib or sausage if you prefer - but it REALLY works well in this recipe!)
***
Cholent Meat Seasoning:
2 1/2 Tbsp. Tunisian Harissa (WILDLY optional - but TFD very much enjoy the heat it brings! TFD endorses only Zwita brand!)
2 Tbsp. Yemenite Hawaiij seasoning (WILDLY optional, omit for original!)
1 tsp. Accent (WILDLY optional, but recommended)
3 Tbsp. white miso (WILDLY optional TFD addition, omit for original and replace with kosher salt to taste)
10 cloves garlic, pounded (the pre-peeled garlic in quantity is recommended - Asian markets have the best quality!)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
***
4 marrow bones (this adds huge flavor and the removed marrow is eaten on toast with kosher salt
8 eggs—boiled first for 5 minutes to protect from breaking while slow-cooking. (Shells stay on until the cholent is done) - try duck eggs, If you can find them, they're TFD's favorite - use 6 in that case
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut in big chunks - peel the potatoes a few hours before you start cooking, and just leave them in the open air (do not cover with water). They will grow unappealing black spots, that will disappear after cooking, so don’t worry about it. The potatoes will taste sweeter and will have a heavier and nicer texture!
1 cup crumbled dried porcini mushrooms (optional but strongly recommended!)
1 large brown onion, quartered (to cook as is)
1 large leek, white and light green part only, cut lengthwise, washed and thinly sliced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large peeled brown onions (diced to sauté with beans/grains)
8 Tbsp. corn or sunflower oil, divided
1 cup dry pinto beans (they must be dry, not canned - because if you cook canned for so many hours, they’ll turn into mush)
1 cup barley
1 1/2 cup einkorn berries (Optional but recommended TFD change, original was wheat berries - TFD ONLY ENDORSES GRAND TETON ANCIENT GRAINS BRAND!)
10 cloves garlic, pounded (the pre-peeled garlic in quantity is recommended - Asian markets have the best quality!)
bottled water or beef stock, as needed (stock should be homemade or low-salt - this is TFD's strong preference!)
1/8 cup Kitchen Bouquet
2 tsp. tomato paste
3 tsp. Elixir Végétal de la Grande-Chatreuse (WILDLY optional TFD addition, omit for original)
A bouquet garni - a large sprig of flat leaf parsley, a large sprig of fresh thyme, a large sprig of tarragon and the leaves from the top of a leafy bunch of celery, all tied together with kitchen twine)
2 fresh bay leaves
***
Cucumber Salad:
1 lb. English or seedless cucumbers (1 1/2 to 2 medium)
1 small red onion
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3 Tbsp. Heinz white wine vinegar with Tarragon
2 tsp. granulated sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh dill

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Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat up 2 Tbsp. oil and fry the diced onions in a large pan (I use cast iron) until translucent, approximately five minutes. Add 10 pounded garlic cloves and cook another five minutes. Add rinsed beans, barley, and einkorn and combine well, add a few big pinches of pepper.
Season the meat with the remaining 10 cloves of crushed garlic combined with the harissa (if using), hawaiij (if using), Accent (if using), salt and pepper – rub it in well and leave for at least 30 minutes minimum, or up to overnight if you’re bold!
Into the biggest dutch oven or pot with a cover you have, put in: beans, einkorn berries and barley, potatoes, the crumbled dried porcini (you can crumble them in a food processor), the quartered onion, leek, carrot, bay leaves, eggs (unpeeled), marrow bones, short ribs, sausage and oxtails. I like to put a thin layer of the bean mixture in the bottom and then add the rest on top. Try to get the eggs buried under other things so they don’t get overdone. Put the meat towards the top and make sure there’s a layer of beans/barley/einkorn on top surrounding everything.
Then add as much water or stock (plus the Kitchen Bouquet and tomato paste) as you need to cover the whole mixture, so there’s approximately ¼” of liquid over everything. Then drizzle remaining oil across the top of the cholent, along with a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. The more oil you add, the crunchier the top and richer it will be.
Put the cholent in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes, until the water on top comes to a boil. Then turn down the heat to 325 degrees F and cook for two hours. Take it out and check it. Stick a spoon to the bottom and see if there’s liquid left, if there’s not much, add more stock or water, perhaps a few cups to once again submerge everything. (The liquid is what will cook the dry beans and grains and make everything amazing) You never want to let the cholent get dry!
Cook for an additional three hours, adding the bouquet garni at this time as well as the Elixir Végétal, so altogether about 6-7 hours. Or 7-8 hours, if you prefer – you really can’t screw this up. If there’s too much liquid, keep cooking. If the beans on top aren’t cooked enough, add more stock or water until they’re covered and cooked. You’ll know your cholent is ready when the beans are tender and the top of your cholent is caramelized to a golden brown.
Turn the heat back up to 450 for 15 minutes or until it has achieved a crispy crown before serving!
Take your cholent out of the oven and serve the perfect combo — a little bit of everything plus a marrow bone for toast. I always serve cholent with cucumber salad on the side and a good bottle of red wine – TFD strongly prefers Georgian Kindzamarauli or Khvanchkara.
Pro tip: On the second night of eating cholent (and beyond), scoop the cholent out onto a cooking sheet into a thin layer and reheat at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes, until everything turns amazingly crispy. We eat from it all week and then freeze some for another Cholent Party another time.
For the cucumber salad:
Prepare the following, adding each to the same medium bowl as you complete it: Using a mandoline or a knife (you can also use the slice blade on a food processor), thinly slice 1 pound English or seedless cucumbers crosswise (4 to 5 cups). Halve and thinly slice 1 small red onion (about 1/2 cup). Sprinkle with 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt and toss to combine. Let sit for 20 minutes.
Pour off any liquid from the cucumber mixture. Add vinegar and granulated sugar, and toss until the sugar is dissolved. Taste and season with black pepper as needed. Add dill and toss to combine.