Classic New Years Black-Eyed Peas (Printable Version)

Tender peas with smoked pork, vegetables, and Creole spices for a traditional New Year's Day meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Legumes

01 - 1 pound dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and sorted

→ Smoked Meat

02 - 1½ pounds smoked pork neck bones or smoked ham hocks

→ Aromatics

03 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 celery stalk, diced
06 - 1 green bell pepper, diced

→ Liquids

07 - 7 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth

→ Spices & Seasonings

08 - 1½ teaspoons Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning
09 - 1 bay leaf
10 - ½ teaspoon dried thyme
11 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

→ Optional Garnish

14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 - Hot sauce for serving

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Cover black-eyed peas with water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse before using. Alternatively, for quick soaking, cover peas with boiling water, let sit for 1 hour, then drain.
02 - In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat a splash of oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
03 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir in smoked pork neck bones, drained black-eyed peas, water or broth, Creole seasoning, bay leaf, thyme, smoked paprika, and black pepper.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender and pork is falling off the bone.
06 - Remove pork neck bones. Shred any meat from the bones and return it to the pot. Discard bones and excess fat.
07 - Season with salt to taste. Remove bay leaf.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley and hot sauce if desired. Traditionally serve over rice or with cornbread.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort wrapped in a bowl, with that smoky pork flavor threading through every bite.
  • The whole thing comes together in just under two hours, which means you can feed a crowd without spending your whole day in the kitchen.
  • Leftovers are even better the next day, and they freeze beautifully if you need to stretch this into several meals.
02 -
  • Don't skip the sorting step when you rinse the dried peas—I once found a small stone that made a distinctly unpleasant noise against someone's tooth, and that taught me that a few extra seconds of attention saves everyone's evening.
  • The peas will continue to soften slightly as the pot cools and the leftovers sit, so if you like them with a little firmness, pull them off the heat when they're just tender rather than mushy.
03 -
  • If your pork seems fatty after cooking, let the whole pot cool in the fridge overnight and you can lift the fat off the top in the morning—then reheat and serve, which also gives you that deeper flavor development.
  • Creole seasoning varies by brand, so start with less than the recipe calls for, taste, and adjust; some brands are much spicier than others, and you can always add more but you can't take it back.
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