Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients

Yields 6 servings

  • 1 lb dry black-eyed peas

  • 4 slices thick cut bacon

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter

  • 1 medium yellow onion (1/4 inch dice)

  • 1 large green bell pepper (1/4 inch dice)

  • 4 garlic cloves (fine chop)

  • 2 quarts water or stock

  • 1 lb smoked ham hock

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 tsp dried thyme

  • 1 tsp salt

  • ½ tsp black pepper

  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar

Method

  1. Place peas in a container and cover with 6–8 cups of water. Cover and let soak at room temp overnight.

  2. Cut bacon into ¼ inch strips and cook in a stock pot until fat is rendered and the bacon starts to crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon reserving the rendered fat in the pot. Set bacon aside.

  3. Add butter, onion, and bell pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes or until the onions are soft and golden.

  4. Drain the soaked peas and rinse. Add to the pot along with water (or stock), ham hocks, bay leaves, and thyme.

  5. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer. When cooking beans, you want a very low simmer, so the beans cook without getting mushy. Aim for just a few small bubbles hitting the surface versus a continuous boil.

  6. Simmer the beans until the ham is falling off the bone and the peas are tender. Start checking the beans around 2 hours but give yourself at least 3 ½ hours for them to cook. Bean cook times will vary often depending on how old the dried beans are.

  7. Remove hock and set aside to cool slightly. Remove bay leaves and discard. Pull the meat off the hock, chop up and add back into the beans along with the reserved bacon.

  8. Add salt, black pepper, and white wine vinegar. Adjust seasoning to taste if needed.