BEST EVER BLACK-EYED PEAS RECIPE
Updated: Sep 20, 2022
Hello Readers! As some may know, my hubby Dwayne is a Surgeon by day, and when we get home from work, he’s a top chef. Dwayne loves to cook and play around in the kitchen, but I had Dwayne share with you guys his famous black-eyed peas recipe for today's post. Black Eyed Peas are a classic Southern dish packed with flavor. This black eyed pea recipe with bacon is the perfect thing to eat for New Year’s (a good luck tradition), and it makes a great dinner or side dish for any comforting meal! It's a fan favorite and always on the menu for Soul Food Sundays that we have at our house. So below, you see hubby sharing his thoughts and stories behind his Black-eyed peas dish.
I grew up in a large family with modest means , and beans were the main staple of our diet due to there low cost. I was not too fond of beans when I was a kid and ate them for survival rather than enjoyment. As an adult, I have come to appreciate a much greater breadth of food. Approximately seven years ago, I began working on a black-eyed peas recipe as a challenge to myself to see if I could transform it into something that I took pleasure eating over and over again. Finally, after many tries, I came up with the following recipe.
Ingredients:
1. 1 pound black-eyed peas (soaked in water overnight in the refrigerator and then drain water before placing in the pot before cooking)
2. 4 smoked pork ham hocks (may substitute similar sized pieces of smoked turkey)
3. 1 medium-sized diced yellow onion
4. 4 large celery ribs diced
5. 4 medium to large bay leaves
6. 4-6 thyme sprigs
7. 4 slices of cooked bacon (diced) and a small amount of bacon grease
8. Garlic powder (not garlic salt) to the season to taste near the end of cooking
9. Onion powder (not onion salt) to the season to taste at the end of cooking
10. Black pepper to season to taste at the end of cooking
11. Ground cayenne pepper to season to taste at the end of cooking.
Cooking Instructions:
1. Place ham hocks in cast iron 6-quart pot and use enough water to cover the ham hocks. Cover and bring to boil and then lower heat to medium and cook ham hocks for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until fork-tender.
2. Add diced celery and onions after cooking ham hocks for 1 hour and cover (the celery and onions will liquefy over time)
3. Next, add the drained black-eyed peas, bay leaves, thyme, diced bacon , and bacon grease and cook an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour at low, medium heat uncovered until black-eyed peas are desired texture. Make sure to stir frequently so that beans do not stick to the bottom of the pot and add additional water if the bean mixture becomes too thick.
4. Toward the end of cooking, add the garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper , and cayenne pepper to desired taste.
