Southern Style Black-Eyed Peas

A slow-cooked recipe for traditional Southern black-eyed peas with ham hocks (or ham bone) and dried peas.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. JUMP TO THE RECIPE
2. RICE DISHES OFTEN SERVED WITH BLACK-EYED PEAS

There are a few ways to cook black-eyed peas. You can start with frozen or canned peas then just cook them until very tender or you can start with dried peas.

Both ways are good but when you slow-cook dried black-eyed peas you get something that’s extra special. The peas create sort of a saucy gravy that makes them so perfect to serve over rice or with traditional southern rice main dishes (I’ll list some below).

Any time I talk about peas, I always feel compelled to tell people that here in the South, we adore our peas (crowder peas, pink lady peas, field peas, black-eyed peas, purple hull peas and dozens of others) and don’t really mess much with those round, green English peas. 

Our peas are more legume-like; they’re creamy instead of squishy. They are often the star of the show, especially in the summertime. A big plate with white rice, slow-cooked creamy peas, fresh sliced garden tomatoes and homemade biscuits is considered a feast. And my mouth is watering thinking about it.

I spent the first 20 years of my life thinking I hated meatloaf because Mama (not a native Southerner) would serve those horrible, murky, tiny canned English peas when she made meatloaf and mashed potatoes (and made me clean my plate) so I just hated it all. Thinking about them still makes me shudder. 

SOUTHERN RICE DISHES OFTEN SERVED WITH BLACK-EYED PEAS

Country-Style Ribs & Rice - An old-school Southern recipe made with rice cooked in a rich stock made from slowly cooked country-style pork ribs. 

Carolina Chicken Bog - A one-pot recipe of rice, chicken and smoked sausage cooked in a flavorful stock made from slow-cooked chicken. 

Charleston Red Rice - A Lowcountry recipe popular from Charleston to Savannah, made from rice cooked with bacon and a tomato broth seasoned with peppers and onions. 

Neck Bones & Rice - A rustic Southern recipe of rice cooked in the savory stock from slowly simmered  pork neck bones. 

Bojangles Dirty Rice - A copycat recipe for Bojangles iconic Cajun dirty rice, made with sausage and a favorite throughout Southern states, especially the Carolinas! 

Recipe for Southern Style Black-Eyed Peas

Southern Style Black-Eyed Peas

Yield: 15-16 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 5 HourTotal time: 5 H & 10 M

A slow-cooked recipe for traditional Southern black-eyed peas with ham hocks (or ham bone) and dried peas.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 ham hocks or ham bone
• 1-2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, sauté onion in butter until onion is translucent and tender. Add 4 cups water, ham hocks, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and peas to pot. Cover and simmer over low heat for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove ham hocks and trim off ham; discarding bones, cartilage and skin. Add ham pieces back to peas and stir. Add more salt to taste then simmer peas on low for one additional hour. If you have more liquid than you’d like, simmer on medium heat, uncovered, until liquid has reduced to your liking.
3. I usually serve mine over white rice with some fresh diced onion sprinkled on top but you can serve them on their own as well.

Notes

If you don't have ham hocks or other smoked meat/trimmings you can cook the peas with 1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke or 2-3 large cubes of ham bullion.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2013/09/southern-style-black-eyed-peas.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2013

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