Southern Black-Eyed Peas with Smoked Ham Hock

Why you’ll love it

• No soaking needed: dried black-eyed peas cook in about an hour.
• Deep, smoky flavor from the ham hock and a slow simmer.
• Budget-friendly and freezer-friendly, about $1.65 per serving.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the ham hock broth

• 1 smoked ham hock (about 1 1/2 lb / 680 g)
• 6 cups (1.4 liters) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf

For the black-eyed peas

• 1 lb (450 g) dried black-eyed peas, sorted and rinsed
• 1 tbsp bacon drippings or olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 cups (240 to 480 ml) water, as needed
• 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

For serving

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Hot sauce
• Cooked white rice or cornbread (optional)

Step-by-step method

1. Sort and rinse the peas. Spread the black-eyed peas on a baking sheet, remove any small stones or shriveled peas, then rinse them well in a colander.

2. Cook the vegetables. In a large Dutch oven, heat the bacon drippings over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until soft. Add the garlic, thyme, smoked paprika and cayenne and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.

3. Make the ham hock broth. Add the ham hock, chicken broth, bay leaf and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes so the ham hock flavors the broth and starts to soften.

4. Simmer the peas. Stir in the black-eyed peas. Return to a gentle simmer, cover partially and cook 50 to 70 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the peas are creamy and tender. Add water, 1/2 cup at a time, whenever the liquid drops below the top of the peas.

5. Shred the ham. Lift out the ham hock and let it cool for a few minutes. Pull the meat off the bone, shred it and return it to the pot. Discard the skin, fat, bone and bay leaf.

6. Thicken and season. Mash a few spoonfuls of peas against the side of the pot and stir them in to thicken the broth slightly. Stir in the vinegar and salt, then taste and adjust. Serve topped with green onions, with hot sauce, rice or cornbread on the side.

How to know it is done

The peas are done when they are creamy all the way through, with no chalky center, and they mash easily against the roof of your mouth, but most of them still hold their shape. The broth should be savory and slightly thickened, not watery, and the ham should pull easily from the bone.

Tips for the best result

• Add the salt at the end: ham hocks vary a lot in saltiness, and salting early can make the pot too salty.
• Keep the pot at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, so the peas cook evenly and do not split.
• Old dried peas take longer to soften; buy them from a store with good turnover and check them after 50 minutes.
• The splash of vinegar at the end brightens the smoky broth, so do not skip it.

Variations and substitutions

• Smoked turkey: replace the ham hock with 1 1/2 lb (680 g) smoked turkey wings or necks.
• Vegetarian: skip the ham hock, use vegetable broth and olive oil, and add 1 tsp more smoked paprika plus 1 chipotle pepper in adobo.
• With greens: stir in 4 cups (about 120 g) chopped kale or collard greens during the last 15 minutes.
• Hoppin’ John style: serve the peas spooned over white rice with chopped tomato and green onion.
• Quicker version: use 4 cans (15 oz / 425 g each) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed, and simmer them only 20 minutes after the ham hock broth is ready.

Make ahead

Cook the peas up to 3 days ahead, cool them and refrigerate them in their broth. They thicken as they sit, so rewarm them over low heat with a splash of water or broth and adjust the salt before serving.

Storage and reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days, or freeze them with their broth up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a covered pot over medium-low heat, or in the microwave, stirring, until steaming hot.