Ham Hocks and Black Eyed Peas

C – My boyfriend has been missing home lately.

He’s from the South. Tennessee to be exact. It’s quite expensive to fly home often, so he can only visit once a year. Besides his family, one thing he really misses is good Southern cooking. I don’t dare make Southern food often because he is a big critic.

Who can blame him? He’s born and raised in the South. Every chance he gets to try out someones Southern cooking, he is all over it. So, when he heard Luke was making Southern food, he requested to be an official taste tester. I was happy to oblige.

I have not eaten too many authentic Southern meals. So, I didn’t know where to start or what to expect. I know that I will have to learn this style of cooking eventually. I was happy. Luke could start me off on the right foot.

Black eyed peas were one thing I would never eat, if served at a restaurant. Luke said this is authentic and we have to make it. I was all over it. My boyfriend is really getting authentic Southern cooking! Yes!

These black eyed peas had ham hock in them. A ham hock is a pork knee or knuckle that has been cured. Luke boils it for about 30 minutes and then adds the entire ham hock, juices and all, into the pot of black eyed peas. It makes an incredibly flavorful pot of beans. I loved that he shreds the cooked ham hock into the beans. It gives the beans more complexity.

Ham Hocks and Black Eyed Peas

Recipe type: Sides

Author: Christina

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 2 hours 30 mins

Total time: 2 hours 45 mins

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 1 whole ham hock
• 1 pound carrots, halved and cut into ½-inch slices
• 1 spring onion bulb, chopped
• 1 spring onion, light green part only, chopped
• 16 ounce package black eyed peas, cleaned, with rocks and broken pieces removed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp oregano, chiffonade
• 1 Tbsp rosemary, chiffonade
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. In a large pot, place ham hock and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes.
2. Place black eyed peas in a large dutch oven. Cover in water. Place on stove and cook on medium high heat.
3. When dutch oven is hot, add carrots, spring onion bulbs and light green part of spring onion. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add ham hock and liquid into dutch oven.
5. Add bay leaves.
6. Bring to a simmer and reduce temperature to low. Cook until tender. About 2 hours.
7. Once beans are tender, remove ham hock from pot and place in bowl. Discard bone.
8. Shred ham hock into bite sized pieces. Place back into dutch oven.
9. Add oregano and rosemary into pot. Stir well.
10. Add salt to taste.
11. Serve.
12. Enjoy!

3.1.08

This was a great dish. I wasn’t expecting to like beans this much. Now I understand why it had to be included in Southern week. It was filling and delicious.

I hope this will feel like back home, babe. I really hope you enjoy it.