Black eyed peas with New Years dinner?

traditional food | Uncle George

[Uncle George]

A family tradition in millions of homes the humble black eyed peas are eaten as a symbol of a prosperious coming year. Not a lot of people like the taste of them but some inventive recipes make them delicious. My wife and I and family have had them every New Years for our 49 years of marriage so why tinker with success? What is your favorite recipe for the humble little black eye?

[Pokey78]

New Year's meal:

Black eyed peas with hog jowl means good luck. You MUST ear a piece of jowl, even if you don't like it. Greens (turnips, collards, or mustards) cooked with backbone means prosperity (money). I prefer turnips and mustards cooked together. Cornbread used to sop up pot liquor (juice from greens).

[Texican]

Uncle:
My wonderful wife of 57 years and I have had BLACKEYED peas for every New Years's day from the first day. She makes it with a big prime rib and lots of veges. UMMMMMMMMMM GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!

You have a nice evening and the very best to you and yours during the new year.

Semper Fi
Tommie

[JRandomFreeper]

That's just so wrong in so many ways.(grin!) Well, to each their own, and Happy New Year!

/john

[sweet_diane]

"I like to cruise the meat case at Winn Dixie. A full selection of tripe, tongue, hoofs, pigs knuckles and jowls. Yum (NOT)"

I've always thought it was funny how you could re-assemble a pig at the grocery store! Might be missing teeth and eyeballs (unless they are included in head cheese), but otherwise, you pretty much can build a piggie!

Oh... and we have black eyed peas (no hog jowl this year, using smoked sausage) in the crock pot and turnips and collards ready to go in the morning :)

[americalost]

Thanks for this post Uncle George! I knew I couldn't be the only one whose family did the black-eyed pea thing for luck. I'm a transplanted southern girl living in CA but even if I have to get canned, I always still eat them on New Year's Day.

Here's to the end of 2001. Happy New Year everybody.

[madfly]

"BLACK EYED PEAS MEXICAN STYLE"

Try garnishing those with fresh cilantro. And add a dash of Tabasco or pepper vinegar...

and a pinch of cumin with some diced green chilis.
Raised on Irish boiled dinners. Developed a taste for southwestern/sonoran cooking and I've got the "habit". yum

HAPPY NEW YEAR FREEPERS...WHAT A GREAT GROUP OF DEDICATED PEOPLE SHARING THE TRUTH. HERE'S (CHEERS) TO A GREAT 2002!!!!

[UnBlinkingEye]

Just cook them with bacon and jalapenos!

I've never had them that way. Went to the grocery store today to buy some black eyed peas and they only came dried or canned with jalapenos, bought the dried along with some smoked hamhocks, they are on the stove now. Cornbread is essential.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

[epow]

A full selection of tripe, tongue, hoofs, pigs knuckles and jowls. Yum (NOT)

Hey, you forgot the chitlins. I don't eat them myself, but my grandpa used to like them. He was born in 1879, and I guess the old-timers ate every part of the pig except the squeal. Grandma made him cook them outdoors because they stunk up the house so bad you couldn't stay in it.

Actually the only thing on your list that I like are the hog jowls. The Rath meat packing company used to sell them smoked like bacon, and sliced and fried they were better than any bacon I ever ate. I don't think you can get them that way anymore.

Anyway, I'm not eating BEP tomorrow. I ate so many of those things growing up that I don't care if I never see another one. I'm planning on going out to a steakhouse for a nice ribeye.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Thats what I am doing; Roadhouse Grill for a prime rib :)

Chitlins and gizzards are more common around here. Its the other stuff you only see at certain stores.

[BP2]

We normally just follow the recipe that's on the back of the pea bag.

On a side note, does anyone else have cabbage with their peas for a financially-prosperous New Year? The idea is cabbage is green, so is money. My wife's family never did it, but mine does. And we both grew up in Texas. Just curious if this is a cultural thing...

[deport]

10 - 12 hours of cooking after soaking over night?.... dang you gonna boil all the poots out of them.... LOL.

[Ditter]

Just who are these people who don't like blackeyed peas? ;9)

[Amelia]

Not a lot of people like the taste of them

They don't???? I love them!

We cook ours with the hambone left over from Christmas ham. Or whatever other pork might be available.

Also, gotta have greens (for money in the New Year). Add a little chopped Vidalia onion to the peas, some pepper juice to the greens, and some cornbread to sop all the juice with - now, that's dinner.

[muawiyah]

Use one of those 10, 11, 25, 27.... or whatever bean packs. Soak them two or three days in cold water. Change it every 6 hours or so.

At about 6 AM on New Year's Day get up and turn on the pot. Cook them from 4 to 8 hours, depending on bean count and amount of water.

Take about a dozen fresh green onions. Clean them. Chop everything into little green or white onion circles.

Use salt and pepper to taste. Put in bowl. Put on onions. Eat!

BTW, what are black eyed peas?

[roachie]

I don't know how they did them in The Old Days (great-grandmother's time) but 'round here we have blackeyed peas with a piece or two of bacon, straight out of a can into a pot and eat em up. pops is from Louisiana and hates peas, mums is from alabama and we love em. Always have cabbage and some form of Pig (tm) Usually ham.

[Dane]

Never had black eyed peas. I would like to try them sometime though. Up here about 70 miles north of the Mason-Dixon line, we have pork, sauerkraut, and baked beans for New Years dinner.

[kayak]

My family loves 'em ..... I cook them with some fat back or ham pieces, add some salt and pepper to taste .... hubby likes raw diced onion on his. We usually have collards and some form of pork, though I've never been able to get up any enthusiasm for hog jowls.

I grew up in a moderate-sized town in NC, then as a newlywed moved to a very small town in the middle of hog-raising country. I nearly fainted the first time I walked in the grocery store and saw whole hog's heads, wrapped in heavy plastic wrap, staring up at me ...... YIKES! Well, technically, they weren't staring .... their skin and eyes were about the only parts missing ..... GROSS!

[carpio]

Tripe is great in a grocers case and can stay that way ;)

Obviously you are unfamiliar with that most Heavenly of all soups Menudo. It is made from tripe and pesole(hominy) and is the finest breakfast food known to humankind.

[madfly]

"BLACK EYED PEAS MEXICAN STYLE"

Try garnishing those with fresh cilantro. And add a dash of Tabasco or pepper vinegar...

and a pinch of cumin with some diced green chilis.
Raised on Irish boiled dinners. Developed a taste for southwestern/sonoran cooking and I've got the "habit". yum

HAPPY NEW YEAR FREEPERS...WHAT A GREAT GROUP OF DEDICATED PEOPLE SHARING THE TRUTH. HERE'S (CHEERS) TO A GREAT 2002!!!!