Black-Eyed Peas with Bacon and Pork

Name: Black-Eyed Peas with Bacon and Pork
Yield: serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 1 pound black-eyed peas (dried or fresh); 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 4 ounces pork shoulder, cut into 1/2 inch cubes; 3 strips thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces; 1 medium onion, diced small; 4 garlic cloves, sliced; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 4 cups Chicken Stock (page 28); 3 bay leaves; Hot pepper vinegar, as desired

December 9, 2011

Pat: Black-eyed peas, simmered with fatty pork (such as ham hocks or bacon), have been a staple in the South for hundreds of years. Inexpensive, easy to grow, and easy to store, they provide protein and nourishment and, many believe, good fortune (which is why eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is a Southern tradition). Some even eat greens, meant to symbolize money, alongside of them. Don’t worry if at the end of the cooking process these beans seem a little watery. To cream them up, mash the beans against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon, or purée a cup of them in the blender and add them back in. These black-eyed peas are great poured over warm cornbread, and are a perfect side with grilled or fried pork chops.

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