One of the holiday traditions that we have in our family is having a big bowl of Black Eyed Peas on New Year's Day. My grandparents were from the south and traditionally Black Eyed Peas are said to bring you luck and prosperity thought out the year if enjoyed on January first. Apparently the tradition started during the Civil War and something that our family did as far back as I can remember.
Ingredients
1 pound dried black-eyed peas
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon coarse salt
2 bay leaves
1 meaty smoked ham hock (usually left over from Christmas)
Directions
Ingredients
1 pound dried black-eyed peas
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon coarse salt
2 bay leaves
1 meaty smoked ham hock (usually left over from Christmas)
Directions
- In a large bowl, soak beans overnight covered by at least 2 inches of water. Drain and rinse beans.
- Place beans, ham hock, onions, garlic, salt, and bay leaves in a large pot and add water to pot just to cover beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Remove from heat. Transfer ham hock to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones, chop meat, and return meat to the pot. Serve beans directly from the pot using a slotted spoon.
