Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetables and Beans
- 2 yellow onions, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic, peeled, left whole
- 150 g dry pinto beans, rinsed and picked over
- 150 g dry kidney beans, rinsed and picked over
- 800 g yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
Meat
- 1000 g beef short ribs, bone-in, cut into 5cm pieces
Liquid and Seasoning
- 1000 ml beef broth
- 30 g honey
- 10 g smoked paprika
- 15 g kosher salt
- 5 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1361 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbohydrates
- 155 g
- Fat
- 62 g
- Fiber
- 20 g
- Sugar
- 13 g
- Sodium
- 1759 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 27 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 28 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 127 mg
- Potassium
- 2673 mg
- Calcium
- 205 mg
- Iron
- 8.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 204 mg
- Phosphorus
- 710 mg
- Zinc
- 7.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 41 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 14 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 9 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 4.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.78 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.46 mg
- Niacin
- 11.3 mg
- Folate
- 289 mcg
- Water
- 320 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the roughly chopped onions and whole garlic cloves in an even layer at the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
Scatter the dry pinto and kidney beans evenly over the onion layer. Keeping the beans near the bottom ensures they absorb maximum moisture.
Arrange the quartered potatoes and bone-in beef short ribs on top of the beans. The meat should be the top layer so its rendered fat naturally bastes the stew.
In a mixing bowl, combine the beef broth, honey, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Whisk vigorously until the honey is fully dissolved and the spices are distributed.
Pour the seasoned broth over the assembled ingredients in the slow cooker. The liquid should almost cover the beans and potatoes; add up to 200ml of extra water if necessary.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on the Low setting for 16 to 18 hours. The gentle, prolonged heat at approximately 90°C/195°F will melt the beef connective tissue, turn the beans creamy, and safely reach an internal temperature well over 74°C/165°F. Do not lift the lid during cooking.
Chef's Notes
- Traditional cholent operates on the principle of undisturbed layered cooking. Resist any urge to stir the slow cooker; stirring will break down the potatoes and beans prematurely, turning the stew into an unappealing mush.
- For an even deeper, restaurant-quality flavor profile, sear the short ribs in a hot skillet for 2-3 minutes per side before placing them in the slow cooker. However, the traditional raw-dump method still yields excellent caramelization over an 18-hour period.
- The raw honey and smoked paprika combination is a modern, savory-sweet elevation of the traditional flavor profile, mimicking the slow-roasted depth of conventional oven-baked cholent without requiring complex pre-preparation.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The flavors will continue to deepen.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in portioned containers. Potatoes may change texture slightly upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water or broth to loosen the stew.
Troubleshooting
Beans are tough and chalky after 18 hours of cooking
Cause: The beans were extremely old, or the slow cooker liquid level dropped too low, leaving them exposed.
Fix: If tending the stew before Sabbath begins, pour in 250ml of boiling water to re-submerge them. Cannot be fixed once Sabbath begins.
Prevention: Ensure you purchase dry beans from a store with high turnover, and verify that liquid fully covers the bean layer before cooking.
The stew is completely dry or burnt at the bottom
Cause: The specific slow cooker model runs unusually hot even on the Low setting.
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Serve the top unburnt portions and discard the scorched bottom layer.
Prevention: For aggressive slow cookers, add an extra 250ml of water at the start or use a slow cooker liner. Placing thick onion rings at the bottom also acts as a thermal buffer.
Cultural Context
Cholent is an ingenious culinary solution to the Jewish prohibition against lighting a fire or cooking on the Sabbath. By assembling the stew on Friday afternoon and utilizing retained or slowly generated heat, Jewish communities developed this deeply comforting dish. Over centuries, it evolved from a practical necessity into a beloved cultural cornerstone, inherently tied to communal Sabbath rest, familial gathering, and winter warmth.
