Cooking Guide
Traditional Ashkenazi Cholent
The quintessential Shabbat lunch. Cholent is a slow-cooked stew of beef, beans, barley, potatoes, onions, and schmaltz that cooks gently overnight, developing extraordinary depth of flavor without constant attention. This version stays true to traditional Eastern European Jewish cooking, favoring clean beef flavor over excessive seasoning.
- Jewish
- Main
- Contains
- wheat/gluten
- paleo
Cooking Guide
Step 1
1Heat the schmaltz in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches until well caramelized on all sides. Remove and set aside.
The Why
Browning in batches keeps the pot hot enough for a real sear on each piece — crowding it would steam the meat instead of caramelizing it, and that caramelization is where most of cholent's deep flavor starts.
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Version history
- v1current7/27/2026