Question:Pressure- Cooker- Cholent- or- Beef- Barley- Stew

[Boomdog02]

Pressure Cooker Cholent or Beef Barley Stew
I was wondering if 2 hours in a pressure cooker is correct. That seems like a really long time. I've made beef barley stew on the stove top in less time. Maybe you mean 20 minutes?

[PaulO in MA]

Two hours in a pressure cooker is a very long time. Time is needed, though, to fully break down the the inexpensive cut of meat that is used in beef stew.

Just made beef stew on Monday. It was about the time that recipe called for and just done in a Dutch oven. No pressure cooker needed.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5894592-Beef-Stew

[PaulO in MA]

Just read the recipe again. It's not what we traditionally call beef stew with pieces of chuck that are browned then fully cooked.

It's a whole roast that is browned then cooked and falls apart due to the extended cooking time. So, yes, two hours in a pressure cooker is what's probably needed.

It's essentially a pot roast that is cooked until it falls apart on its own rather than slicing or pulling it.

Do a search for "cholent." I's commonly cooked 12 hours usually.

[DrGaellon]

Cholent is an Eastern European dish which is common in Jewish communities. It was designed to be placed into a banked fire (often the big oven at the town's baker) on Friday afternoon before the Sabbath began. It would be collected on Saturday on the way home from the synagogue to allow for a hot lunch after the morning's services. (Jews are forbidden to use fire on the Sabbath, so it is impossible to cook fresh during the observance.)

[Boomdog02]

I appreciate the reply...this really isn't cholent. However, chuck is a large, rather flat piece of meat (not like a top round/roast) it really would not need 2 hours...I'm afraid in 2 hours I'm going to have barley chili! I think I'll try for 30-45 minutes, and go from there.

[Zeldaz]

The people who reviewed it had no complaints! I don't understand the four servings, though, as two to three pounds of meat would result in a whole lot more servings, especially with the veggies and barley.