I can’t think of a better way to ring in the New Year and anoint our new blog than with a recipe for Black-Eyed Peas. Peas and cornbread are a staple of the Southern kitchen.
I decided to try a new recipe this year, and it did not disappoint! Growing up, my Mother and Grandmother were amazing cooks. My Mom loved to throw different ingredients into a pot and hope it tasted good. In that spirit, I decided to try something new this year for our annual black-eyed peas.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 5-6 hours |
| Servings |
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Ingredients
- 3 slices hog jowls extra thick
- 1/2 cup black-eyed peas, dry
- 1/4 cup bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup red onions, diced
- 1-1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1-1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash pepper
- 1 can spinach, drained
Ingredients
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Instructions
- I threw my hog jowls into a frying pan on medium heat. Once they started sizzling, I cooked each side for about four minutes.
- Since it took a few minutes for the skillet to heat up, I did a quick rinse of my black-eyed peas. Yes, I used dried peas. And the only "pre-soak" that happened was this minute rinse. I'm a rebel, y'all!
- After I finished rinsing and checking my peas, I threw some chopped bell peppers and red onions in with the hog jowl. My goal was to let the veggies get a good coat of that jowl juice but not get translucent.
- Throw your black-eyed peas, hog jowls, and veggies into a slow cooker. I used my 3-quart Crock-Pot. Make sure that you pour all of that jowl juice into the slow cooker! Then, I added the broth, water, salt, pepper, and olive oil. I do a 50/50 on my broth and water because I don't want my juice to taste like chicken and overpower the jowls. I turned it on high for three hours and (IMPORTANT STEP ALERT) did not take the lid off until the three hours was up.
- (Sorry y'all, I forgot to take a pic of this step.) After the three hours were up, I stirred in my green of choice. This year, we went with spinach. No fresh spinach, no frozen spinach. I used canned spinach, which I drained. After stirring in the spinach pretty well, I put the lid back on and left my slow cooker alone for another two hours, still on high. When I took the lid off, a wonderful aroma hit my nose and I was ready to dive in!
Recipe Notes
- If you decide to pre-soak your peas, then cut your cooking times in half.
- Use the green of your choice. We used spinach this year, but any green (mustard, collard, mixed) will work.
This was such a delicious recipe. I’m glad I decided to try something different for our black-eyed peas this year!
How do you cook your black-eyed peas?