This Incredible Black-Eyed Peas recipe is packed with pork goodness and good luck – exactly what I want for next year!
It’s traditional to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day in the Southern United States, which is thought to bring prosperity in the new year. The meal usually includes collard or mustard greens to symbolize prosperity and pork to signify forward motion. I’m not one to take any chances, so I make this black-eyed peas recipe on New Year’s Eve and eat them at 12:01 to be safe – and to soak up the champagne.
This recipe is for the small, commonly available dried Black-Eyed Pea, known as the “California Blackeye” – if you have one the larger heirloom varieties available throughout the south, you may need a little more water and cooking time.
If you’re looking for a New Year’s day cocktail recipe too, I suggest a Bloody Caesar. Hair of the dog + party in a glass is bound to bring good luck too, don’t you think?
Incredible Black-Eyed Peas
Ingredients
- 4 slices gluten-free bacon, diced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 smoked ham hock
- 1 16-ounce package dried black-eyed peas, washed
- 1 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly groundblack pepper
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, cook the bacon until almost crisp. Add in the onion and shallot, and sauté until tender.
- Add the black eyed peas, diced tomatoes, brown sugar, salt, chili powder and pepper, then stir to coat the peas. Then add the ham hock, parsley and water.
- Cover and cook over medium heat for 2-2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, or until the peas are tender and the ham hock is starting to break apart. Add additional water during cooking if necessary.
- Carefully remove the ham hock from the peas, and separate the meat from the bone. Add the meat back to the peas, and stir to combine.
Notes
photo by Katie Roletto
