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Hoppin John

Black Eyed Peas basically
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cajun Trinity (roughly equal quantity)
  • onion
  • green pepper
  • celery
Continuing
  • 1 dry black eyed peas package
  • garlic
  • 2 smoked ham hocks (two packages)
  • ham (i usually get a "breakfast steak")
  • bay leaves
  • salt
  • pepper

Method
 

Night Before
  1. Soak the beans
  2. <optional ... this is how i do it> Go ahead and "render" the ham hocks.
    In step FIRST ... just strain the broth, keep the whatever meat you get off the ham hocks and broth ... frig over night.
    I put the bay leaves in the "boil down".
First
  1. This is the most time consuming part - you'll need to "boil down" the ham hocks ... I go ahead and simmer for an hour ... pull them out ... let them cool ... get whatever meat you can get off them (which ain't much) ... simmer the bones and fat for another hour
  2. Strain well and kept that wonderful broth !!!
Second
  1. drain the beans
  2. combine the broth and beans and add water as necessary
  3. add little salt and pepper
Third
  1. "sweat" the trinity in a separate pan with oil (or butter)
  2. Last minute add the garlic
Fourth
  1. You're doing two things here - rice and beans ...
  2. Yellow Rice
  3. BEANS
  4. Combine the trinity to the broth and beans
  5. Let that cook for 15 minutes maybe
Fifth
  1. add the meat (both whatever you got off the ham hocks and the ham cut up)
  2. let simmer til beans are how you want them (soft, firm or whatever)
Last
  1. salt and pepper to taste
  2. !!! YOU WILL HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL SOUTHERN YEAR IF YOU FOLLOW THIS TRADITION ON NEW YEARS DAY !!!

Notes

NOTE - Garlic is not technically part of the cajun trinity ... but i can't cook without it :)
NOTE - The Yellow Rice is cuban-ish ... southern is just white rice.