Ultimate Overnight Hamin with Silan and Wheat Berries

This Ultimate Overnight Hamin with Silan and Wheat Berries is the ultimate “dump-and-forget” comfort food — tender beef, creamy beans, rich marrow, and subtly sweet date syrup all slow-cooked into a deeply flavorful Sabbath stew. With minimal active prep and a foolproof overnight cook, this traditional Jewish favorite is both crowd-pleasing and effortlessly elegant.

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Recipe

Serves: 8

Prep Time: 30 min active + overnight soaking

Cook Time: 12–18 hours

Ultimate Overnight Hamin with Silan and Wheat Berries

Ingredients

Soaking (overnight)

• 2 cups dried bean mix (white, brown, lima, or kidney)

• ½ cup dried chickpeas

• 1 tsp baking soda (for beans)

• Water to cover beans & chickpeas

Main Stew

• 3 Tbsp olive oil or beef tallow

• 1.1 lb (500 g) beef chuck roast or shoulder roast, cut into large cubes

• 1.1 lb (500 g) flanken short ribs or osso buco slices

• 1–2 marrow bones (optional, but highly recommended)

• 2–3 large onions, halved and sliced

• 10 cloves garlic, peeled (or 1 whole head, top sliced off)

• 4–5 medium potatoes, peeled and halved

• 8 large eggs, in shell (washed)

• 1 cup wheat berries, rinsed (see Alternatives below)

Seasoning

• 100 g (about 6 Tbsp) tomato paste

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 2–3 Tbsp silan (date syrup)

• 2 Tbsp sweet paprika (Moroccan or smoked sweet)

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• 2 Tbsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

• Water – enough to cover ingredients by about 1.5 inches (approx. 8–10 cups)

Instructions

1. Soak the legumes

   • In a large bowl, combine beans with baking soda, cover with water (about 2 inches above), and soak overnight.

   • In a separate bowl, soak chickpeas in water overnight.

   • Drain and rinse both before cooking.

   • Wheat berries: rinse well, no soaking needed.

2. Brown and build layers (optional, but boosts flavor)

   • In a heavy skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high.

   • Brown beef cubes and short ribs on all sides; set aside.

   • In the same pan, sauté onions until golden (10–15 min). Add garlic for the last minute.

   • Stir in tomato paste and cook until slightly darkened. Add paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper; stir to coat.

3. Assemble the hamin

   • In slow cooker or Dutch oven: spread onions/garlic/tomato mixture on the bottom.

   • Add drained beans, chickpeas, and rinsed wheat berries.

   • Layer meats and marrow bones on top.

   • Nestle potatoes and raw eggs in the gaps.

   • Drizzle silan and olive oil over everything.

   • Pour in enough water to cover by about 1.5 inches.

4. Cooking method options

   • Slow cooker (especially if yours runs cool): HIGH for 4–5 hours, then LOW for 10–12 hours overnight OR HIGH for 10–12 hours straight for consistent heat.

   • Oven/Dutch oven: Bring to a boil on stovetop, skim foam, then cover tightly and place in 225°F (107°C) oven for 12–18 hours.

5. Serving

   • Peel eggs (they’ll be creamy and infused with flavor).

   • Serve each portion with meat, potatoes, beans/wheat berries, and the rich sauce.

Grain Alternatives

• Pearled barley – similar chew and cooking time

• Farro – shorter cooking time; check after 10–12 hours in slow cooker

Nutritional Value (per serving, ~350g)

• Calories: ~420 kcal

• Protein: ~22 g

• Fat: ~11 g

  • Saturated Fat: ~3 g

• Carbohydrates: ~60 g

  • Fiber: ~12 g

  • Sugars: ~5 g

• Sodium: ~780 mg

• Cholesterol: ~40 mg

• Potassium: ~1,050 mg

(Values are approximate; exact amounts depend on ingredients used and cooking method.)

Storage Instructions

• Refrigerator: Cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Store for up to 4 days.

• Freezer: Portion into freezer-safe containers, removing excess air. Freeze for up to 3 months.

• Reheating: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water or broth to restore moisture.

Soak the legumes

Soak the legumes

Soak the legumes

Brown and build layers (optional, but boosts flavor)

Brown and build layers (optional, but boosts flavor)

Brown and build layers (optional, but boosts flavor)

Brown and build layers (optional, but boosts flavor)

Assemble the hamin

Assemble the hamin

Assemble the hamin

Assemble the hamin

Cook

Cook

Finish Cooking

Serve

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Prompt

Here's how I prompted the "Ultimate Overnight Hamin with Silan and Wheat Berries" recipe:

(note- my slow cooker died mid-way, so I went ahead and bought a new one)

It was my first attempt at Hamin, so I didn't want to blindly trust ChatGPT. I decided to Google some recipes, and go with the highest ratings, and then asked ChatGPT. So I found 2 recipes and fed the ingredients into ChatGPT, including ingredient list for grocery shopping:

I want to make חמין/ I have looked at several recipes online which seem great. here are the ingredients of 2 different recipes, based on those, can you come up with a winning recipe, in English? Then, at the bottom, create a grocery list for me, as I am going to HEB to shop for the ingredients 1) להשריית השעועית: 2 כוסות שעועית יבשה 1 כפית אבקת סודה לשתייה 2 ליטר מים להשריית החיטה: 1 כוס חיטה 1 ליטר מים לחמין: 8 ביצים בגודל L 3 כפות שמן 500 גרם צלי כתף או פילה מדומה, חתוך לקוביות גדולות 500 גרם אסאדו או אוסובוקו, חתוך לקוביות גדולות 1-2 עצמות מח 2 בצלים, קצוצים דק 10 שיני שום, קלופות 5 תפוחי אדמה קטנים, קלופים לתיבול: 1 קופסה (100 גרם) רסק עגבניות 2 כפות שמן 3 כפות סילאן 2 כפות פפריקה מתוקה 1/2 כפית כמון טחון 2 כפות מלח 1 כפית פלפל שחור 2) המצרכים (8 מנות): 3 כפות שמן 700 גרם נתח שפונדרה חתוך לקוביות 3 פרוסות אוסובוקו 3 בצלים גדולים, חצויים ופרוסים 1 כוס תערובת שעועית (לבנה, חומה, גדולה) שהושרתה לילה במים חצי כוס גרגירי חומוס שהושרו לילה במים חצי כוס חיטה שהושרתה לילה במים מלח פלפל שחור כף פפריקה מרוקאית 2 כפות דבש, סילאן או סוכר חום (בשביל הטעם והצבע) 4 תפוחי אדמה חצויים (או 8 קטנים) 8 ביצים ראש שום חצוי מים לכיסוי

ChatGPT came up with the following recipe and the shopping list:

Here’s a winning Hamin (חמין) recipe that combines the most flavorful elements from both of the ones you found. It honors tradition while optimizing for a hearty, deeply savory, and balanced result.

Ultimate Hamin (Jewish Overnight Stew)

Serves: 8Cook time: 12–18 hoursPrep time: 30 minutes active + 12 hours soaking

Ingredients

Soaking (overnight):

• 2 cups dried bean mix (white, brown, large lima or kidney beans)

• ½ cup dried chickpeas

• ½ cup wheat berries

• 1 tsp baking soda (for beans)

• Water to cover

Main Stew:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil or beef tallow

• 1.5–2 lbs beef stew cuts:

  • 500g (1.1 lb) chuck roast or shoulder roast, cut into large cubes

  • 500g (1.1 lb) flanken short ribs or osso buco slices

• 1–2 marrow bones (optional but highly recommended)

• 2–3 large onions, halved and sliced

• 10 cloves garlic, peeled

• 4–5 medium potatoes, peeled and halved

• 8 whole eggs, in shell (raw)

Seasoning:

• 100g (about 6 Tbsp) tomato paste

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 2–3 Tbsp silan (date syrup) or dark brown sugar

• 2 Tbsp sweet paprika (preferably Moroccan or smoked sweet)

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• 2 Tbsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Water:

• Enough to cover all ingredients by about 2 inches (approx. 8–10 cups)

Instructions

1. Soak beans, chickpeas, and wheat berries overnight:

• In a large bowl, combine beans with 1 tsp baking soda and cover with water (at least 2 inches above).

• In separate bowls, soak chickpeas and wheat berries in water.

• Drain and rinse everything before cooking.

2. Sear the meat (optional, but adds depth):

• In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 3 Tbsp oil over medium-high.

• Brown meat cubes on all sides in batches. Set aside.

3. Build the stew:

• In the same pot, sauté sliced onions until golden (about 10–15 minutes).

• Add garlic cloves and cook 1–2 minutes more.

• Stir in tomato paste and cook until it darkens slightly and smells sweet (2–3 minutes).

• Stir in paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix to coat onions and garlic.

• Add all the soaked and drained legumes and wheat.

• Layer seared meats, marrow bones, and potatoes on top.

• Nestle in the raw eggs (unpeeled, washed).

• Drizzle silan (or brown sugar) and 2 Tbsp olive oil over the top.

• Pour water to cover everything by 2 inches.

4. Cook low and slow:

• Bring to a boil, skim off any foam.

• Cover tightly and simmer on the lowest flame or move to a 225°F (107°C) oven.

• Let cook overnight, 12–18 hours, until the beans are creamy, the wheat plump, and the meat tender and falling apart.

5. Serve:

• Peel the eggs—they’ll be creamy and brown inside.

• Serve with a bit of everything: soft potatoes, meat, beans, grains, and the deeply flavored sauce.

Grocery List (for HEB)

Dry Goods:

•  2 cups dried bean mix (white, brown, lima, or kidney)

•  ½ cup dried chickpeas

•  ½ cup wheat berries (may be in bulk/grain section)

•  Baking soda

Spices & Condiments:

•  Tomato paste (100g can or tube)

•  Sweet paprika (preferably Moroccan or smoked)

•  Ground cumin

•  Kosher salt

•  Ground black pepper

•  Silan (date syrup) or dark brown sugar

•  Olive oil (or beef tallow, optional)

Meat & Protein:

•  ~1.1 lb beef chuck roast or shoulder roast

•  ~1.1 lb flanken short ribs or osso buco slices

•  1–2 marrow bones (ask butcher counter)

•  8 large eggs

Produce:

•  2–3 large onions

•  1 head garlic

•  4–5 medium potatoes

Let me know if you want a simplified version for a smaller batch, a pressure cooker adaptation, or Sephardi-style add-ins (like stuffed kishke or rice packets).

Wheat berries apparently are hard to come by in Texas's HEB:

what can I use if store doesn't carry wheat berries?

ChatGPT gave me options:

If your store doesn’t carry wheat berries, here are the best substitutes (ranked by how well they mimic the chewy, nutty texture and slow-cooking behavior in hamin):

🔁 Best Substitutes for Wheat Berries in Hamin

1. Pearled Barley

• ✅ Widely available

• ✅ Mildly chewy, absorbs flavor well

• ⛔️ Slightly softer and less nutty than wheat berries

• 🕒 Can go mushy if cooked too long—add halfway through or use hulled barley if you can find it

2. Hulled Barley (ideal)

• ✅ Closer in texture and flavor to wheat berries

• ✅ Holds shape during long cook

• ⛔️ Harder to find than pearled barley

• 🕒 Requires overnight soaking

3. Farro

• ✅ Nutty and chewy, very similar texture

• ✅ Great flavor in slow-cooked dishes

• ⛔️ May cook faster—so keep it whole (not quick-cook)

• 🕒 Soak overnight if using whole farro

4. Spelt Berries or Rye Berries

• ✅ Very similar structure

• ⛔️ Rarely available outside specialty or health food stores

🚫 What to Avoid:

• Quick oats or rolled oats: too soft, will dissolve

• Quinoa or white rice: texture won’t hold up to long braise

• Brown rice: possible, but mushes out and lacks chewiness

🛒 At HEB, your best bet:

• Check bulk bins or grain aisle for pearled barley or farro

• Health food section might stock hulled barley or whole farro

• If you're in a rush and can't find any, just add more legumes or a handful of short-grain rice in the final 2–3 hours—but only as a last resort

Would you like me to tweak the recipe slightly to accommodate barley or farro?

I was wondering if I should go with Dutch Oven:

will this work in a standard size dutch oven (cast iron)?

ChatGPT said that'll work:

Yes—with some caveats.

A standard Dutch oven (typically 5.5 to 6.5 quarts / 5.2 to 6.2 liters) can work for this hamin recipe, but:

🔍 Here's what to consider:

✅ It will fit if:

• You're using no more than 1 lb of each meat (as in the recipe).

• You’re careful not to overfill past ~¾ of the pot (leave ~1.5 inches of space from the top for expansion and bubbling).

• You layer thoughtfully—start with onions/beans/grains on the bottom, then meat and eggs, then pour water carefully.

⚠️ Watch for overflow risk:

• Once it starts boiling and then slow-bakes overnight, bubbling can cause spills if the pot is too full.

• If you're right at the top, place a rimmed baking sheet or foil underneath in the oven to catch any drips.

🧠 Pro Tips:

• Don’t add too much water upfront. Add just enough to cover the ingredients by 1.5–2 inches. You can always top it up mid-cook if needed.

• If it looks too tight, remove a couple of eggs or reduce the legume mix slightly (beans and wheat expand a lot).

• Lid must fit snugly. Steam retention is essential for texture.

📏 Want to be sure?

Tell me your Dutch oven’s size (quarts/liters), and I’ll double-check the volume fit based on the final food mass and liquid.

I was a bit concerned with leaving the oven on:

Will it work in slow cooker?

ChatGPT said slow cooker is a great idea:

Yes—hamin works beautifully in a slow cooker, and in some ways, it's even better-suited to one than a Dutch oven. It mimics the traditional low-and-slow overnight cooking while eliminating oven use and reducing the risk of drying out or scorching.

✅ How to Adapt This Hamin for a Slow Cooker

Size matters:

Use a 6-quart (5.7 L) or larger slow cooker. Anything smaller will likely overflow or undercook the beans.

🔧 Adapted Instructions for Slow Cooker

1. Prep everything exactly the same:

• Soak beans, chickpeas, and wheat overnight

• Brown the meats and sauté the onions if you want depth (optional but recommended)

• Combine tomato paste, silan, and spices as per the recipe

2. Build in the slow cooker:

Layer in this order:

1. Onions, garlic, legumes, wheat

2. Meat and marrow bones

3. Potatoes

4. Raw whole eggs (in shell)

5. Spice mixture and tomato paste

6. Water—just enough to cover ingredients by 1 inch (don't overfill)

3. Cook:

• LOW for 12–18 hoursThis is key for proper texture and flavor meld.

🧠 Notes:

• Don’t stir mid-cook. Let the layers sit so flavors develop properly and beans don’t break down.

• If the eggs rise to the top and you’re worried about uneven cooking, you can rotate them gently halfway through.

• Slow cookers vary—check around hour 12 to ensure beans are creamy and meat is pull-apart tender.

🥄 Final texture:

• Beans: tender but whole

• Wheat/barley: plump and chewy

• Eggs: deeply browned with creamy yolks

• Meat: falling apart

Let me know your slow cooker’s size or model if you want time adjustments or a modified water quantity!

My slow cooker is not good (more to come):

My slow cooker is super slow. I almost think high heat is better overnight. Usually needs 50% or more time than recipe states

ChatGPT gave me updated timeline:

That’s a critical detail—thanks for the honesty. If your slow cooker consistently runs cool and recipes take 50% longer than expected, low heat may not be hot enough to fully cook the legumes and meat within 12–18 hours, especially in a dense dish like hamin.

✅ Best Approach for a “Super Slow” Slow Cooker:

🔥 Use HIGH for the first few hours, then switch to LOW:

Recommended plan:

1. Start on HIGH for 4–5 hours

   • This gets the beans, chickpeas, and wheat fully cooking (they’re the slowest to soften)

   • Also helps reduce risk of undercooked meat if your unit runs cool

2. Switch to LOW and continue overnight

   • Another 10–12 hours

   • You can leave it on LOW until serving time—even up to 18–20 hours total is fine for hamin

Alternative if you're nervous:

• HIGH for 10–12 hours total is totally okay with hamin. It’s robust and forgiving. The long braise keeps moisture in, and the flavors only deepen.

• The only thing to watch is that potatoes don’t fall apart—cut them larger or add them halfway through if yours tend to disintegrate.

Pro Tips:

• Preheat your slow cooker while you prep ingredients. Most run very cool for the first hour.

• Boil your water first before adding to the pot—it gives the dish a temperature boost from the start.

• If you're worried about dryness, check water level around hour 8–10 and top off with hot water if needed.

Want me to rewrite the recipe with this adjusted timeline built in?

I ended up with pearled barley:

I got pearled barley , that's the only thing I could find. Can you rewrite the recipe? 

ChatGPT updated the recipe:

Got it — we’ll swap the wheat berries for pearled barley and slightly tweak the method so it holds its texture during the long cook. Pearled barley softens faster than wheat berries, so we’ll make a couple of adjustments.

Ultimate Overnight Hamin with Pearled Barley

Serves: 8Prep time: 30 min active + overnight soakingCook time: 12–18 hours (slow cooker or Dutch oven)

Ingredients

Soaking (overnight)

• 2 cups dried bean mix (white, brown, lima, or kidney)

• ½ cup dried chickpeas

• No soaking needed for pearled barley—just rinse well before using

• 1 tsp baking soda (for beans)

• Water to cover

Main Stew

• 3 Tbsp olive oil or beef tallow

• 1.1 lb (500g) beef chuck roast or shoulder roast, cut into large cubes

• 1.1 lb (500g) flanken short ribs or osso buco slices

• 1–2 marrow bones (optional, but recommended)

• 2–3 large onions, halved and sliced

• 10 cloves garlic, peeled

• 4–5 medium potatoes, peeled and halved

• 8 large eggs, in shell (washed)

Seasoning

• 100g (about 6 Tbsp) tomato paste

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 2–3 Tbsp silan (date syrup) or dark brown sugar

• 2 Tbsp sweet paprika (Moroccan or smoked sweet)

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• 2 Tbsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Water

• Enough to cover ingredients by about 1.5 inches (approx. 8–10 cups)

Instructions

1. Soak the legumes

• In a large bowl, combine beans with baking soda and cover with water (2 inches above).

• In a separate bowl, soak chickpeas in water.

• Drain and rinse both before cooking.

• Pearled barley: just rinse well and set aside—don’t soak.

2. Brown and build layers

1. (Optional but recommended) In a heavy skillet or Dutch oven, heat 3 Tbsp oil over medium-high.

2. Brown meat cubes and short ribs on all sides; set aside.

3. In the same pan, sauté onions until golden (10–15 min). Add garlic for the last minute.

4. Stir in tomato paste, cook until slightly darkened. Add paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper—stir to coat.

3. Assemble

In slow cooker or Dutch oven:

1. Spread onions/garlic/tomato mixture on the bottom.

2. Add drained beans, chickpeas, and rinsed pearled barley.

3. Layer meats and marrow bones on top.

4. Nestle potatoes and raw eggs in the gaps.

5. Drizzle silan and olive oil over everything.

6. Pour in just enough water to cover by about 1.5 inches.

4. Cooking method options

If using a slow slow cooker like yours:

• HIGH for 4–5 hours, then LOW for 10–12 hours overnightor HIGH for 10–12 hours if you prefer to keep heat consistent.

If using oven/Dutch oven:

• Bring to a boil on stovetop, skim foam, then cover tightly and place in 225°F (107°C) oven for 12–18 hours.

5. Serving

• Peel eggs—they’ll be creamy and brown.

• Serve each portion with meat, potatoes, beans/barley, and the rich sauce.

HEB Grocery List (with barley swap)

Dry Goods:

•  2 cups dried bean mix

•  ½ cup dried chickpeas

•  Pearled barley (you already have)

•  Baking soda

•  Tomato paste

•  Sweet paprika

•  Ground cumin

•  Kosher salt

•  Ground black pepper

•  Silan or dark brown sugar

•  Olive oil or beef tallow

Meat & Protein:

•  ~1.1 lb beef chuck roast

•  ~1.1 lb flanken short ribs or osso buco slices

•  1–2 marrow bones

•  8 large eggs

Produce:

•  2–3 large onions

•  1 head garlic

•  4–5 medium potatoes

If you want, I can also give you a slow cooker layering tweak so the pearled barley doesn’t get mushy even on high heat overnight. That’ll make it more like the wheat-berry texture you were originally after.

I decided to tweak the garlic:

About the garlic I'm actually going to use an entire garlic head and just chop off the top of it and put it inside the slow cooker so I'm not going to roast it.

ChatGPT said great:

Perfect—that’s actually very traditional for hamin.Leaving the head of garlic whole (with just the top sliced off) will give you a sweet, mellow garlic flavor that melts into the stew, and you can squeeze the cloves out at serving time for extra richness.

Here’s the minor tweak to your pearled barley version to reflect that:

Garlic adjustment for hamin

• Instead of: 10 peeled garlic cloves sautéed with onions

• Do this: Take 1 whole head of garlic, slice about ¼ inch off the top to expose the cloves, keep the papery skin on, and nestle it whole into the pot along with the potatoes and eggs.

• No need to sauté it first—the slow cooker will caramelize it gently over the long cook.

If you want the garlic to flavor the broth even more, you can place the garlic head cut side up in the middle of the beans/meat layer so the juices flow right through it.

Do you want me to reprint the full recipe with this garlic change so you have a single, clean final version before you start cooking? That way you don’t have to mentally swap steps while shopping and prepping.

Then my slow cooker died:

Slow cooker does after 2 hours so I'm taking the inside part and covering with tinfoil and putting in the oven. Can I do that? What temp?

ChatGPT said ok:

Yes — you can absolutely finish hamin in the oven by moving your slow cooker insert into it.

Here’s the best way to do it so the texture stays right:

How to finish hamin in the oven

1. Preheat oven to 225°F (107°C) — this mimics the traditional “overnight” low-and-slow method.

2. Place the slow cooker insert (without lid) into the oven — but cover it tightly with foil to trap steam. If your slow cooker lid is oven-safe, you can use that instead of foil.

3. Cook covered for the remainder of your total cook time (10–14 hours depending on when you want to serve).

4. Check liquid level after ~4–6 hours — if it looks low, top up with boiling water to keep everything just covered.

🧠 Notes:

• 225°F is ideal for that gentle overnight braise, but if you’re short on time you could bump to 250°F (121°C) for a bit more heat without drying things out.

• Pearled barley can soften faster than beans/meat, so if you see it getting very soft early, don’t stir much — that helps it hold shape.

• Keep foil tightly sealed — losing too much steam is the fastest way to end up with a dry hamin.

If you tell me what time you want to serve, I can give you the exact start-to-finish timing so it’s ready and perfect without overcooking the barley.

I ended up being rescued by a neighbor with same size slow cooker so I just transferred the insert to the new slow cooker and finished the cooking in slow cooker.

Scroll to the top or click the link below for the final recipe.

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