Black-Eyed Peas with Pork and Greens

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READY IN 10+ hrs

Black-Eyed Peas with Pork and Greens

Read Reviews (19)

"This recipe features black-eyed peas, and three kinds of pork. How can that not bring good fortune? This is my variation of Hoppin' John, which is black-eyed peas, rice, and pork stewed together, usually served with some kind of greens and cornbread." — Chef John

Directions

Place black-eyed peas into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Drain and set aside.
Cook pork necks and bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Stir in onion, celery, and carrot; cook and stir until softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
Pour cold water and black-eyed peas into pork mixture; increase heat to high.
Stir in bay leaf, thyme, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and salt. Simmer uncovered until beans are tender, about 40 minutes.
Remove neck bones from mixture; separate any meat from bones, return meat to Dutch oven, and discard bones.
Stir in diced ham and kale; cook until greens are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve over rice.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 25 mins
COOK 2 hrs
READY IN 10 hrs 25 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jun 23, 2012

This was crazy good. I used ham hocks instead of necks, and added andouille sausage to it with the kale. I did not have the canned tomatoes with peppers, so used fresh chopped tomatoes and some ground dried chiles. YUM!!

—solbrich

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 31, 2012

It's a nice recipe, but I found the beans were not quite cooked enough for me in the time frame given -- a tiny bit on the crunchy side. Maybe a full hour before adding the tomatoes might be better. Also, the greens added to the beans is an interesting idea, but I still prefer them cooked separately. It could be that the substitutions I made may have made the difference -- I live in Germany, and smoked neckbone and ham hocks American style are not to be found here. I used Sudtiroler speck, a flavorful smoked meat, as a substitute for the neckbone, and smoked Kasseler as a substitute for the ham. I've used Kasseler in the past with excellent results. Bacon as we recognize it is readily available here and can be found already cut into small strips, very convenient for cooking. Even so however, the flavor was not quite as rich as I had hoped. Not bad, but I'll stick to my old recipe for next year.

—SapphireDiva

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21 Ratings

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Jun 12, 2012

Made this today and it was absolutely delicious. Didn't have Kale, so I used a half bag of collard greens that I had left over from another dish - guess any greens will do. I'm giving a lot to friends so they can see how good black-eyed peas and pork neck bones taste. Will definitely make this again.

—deekruse

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Jan 01, 2013

Excellent! Couldn't get any pork neck bones, so I substituted ham hocks instead. Next time I'll skip the bacon, increase the ham, and use ham hocks again, because their smoky flavor adds so much to this dish. Also used my slow cooker--two hours on high, then about five hours on low, adding the ham and kale during the last 45 minutes of cooking. Since I am allergic to cayenne, I used Penzey's Aleppo Pepper instead. I also doubled the amount of onion the recipe calls for, and sautéed the onion/celery/carrots before adding them to the slow cooker, in order to control the amount of liquid that the onions throw off. I can see this being my family's New Years Day dish for a long time!

—Susan

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Jan 24, 2013

WOW! Chef John, you've done it again. This is a fantastic recipe. Made it a few days ago as written except I used a half pound more neck bones than called for and increased garlic. The nutrients of almost every ingredient is off the charts and the combined flavors amazing. DO TRY to use the pork neck bones if you can. Simmered with the beans, etc provides a richness and the bits of meat taken off the bones and returned to the pot is delectable. We ate it alone and also with rice. I made so much, I will freeze some and hope that's okay. Chef John, your recipes are all so reliable, uncomplicated and delicious. Keep 'em comming!

—Susan Emma

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Jan 16, 2013

Fabulous! Seasonings are perfect! Used ham hocks and made this for the second time tonite. Everyone just loved it. Will continue to make it often. Makes wonderful leftovers that only get more flavorful throughout the week. Great to heat up at lunch time. I also find the rice unnecessary, although it's fine if you like.

—Barbara

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Jan 03, 2013

The whole family says this recipe is a "Keeper". It was EXCELLENT!!! My entire family loved it - even my picky girls! Spice was perfect, flavors melded nicely. Amazing the second day too! Highly recommend this recipe!

—MILLERSQUARED

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Jan 02, 2013

I made this delicious dish for a New Years Day gathering at my house. It was a big hit! I got comments such as: "These are very classy black eyed peas." "These were the best black eyed peas that I have even eaten." Of course, I shared the recipe.

—Ronat

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Nutrition

Calories
463 kcal
23%

Carbohydrates
45.5 g
15%

Cholesterol
65 mg
22%

Fat
15.4 g
24%

Fiber
8.6 g
35%

Protein
37.4 g
75%

Sodium
1233 mg
49%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Black-Eyed Peas with Pork and Greens

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 463
Calories from Fat: 139

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15.4g 24 %
Saturated Fat 5.1g 25 %
Cholesterol 65mg 22 %
Sodium 1233mg 49 %
** Potassium 1138mg 32 %
Total Carbohydrates 45.5g 15 %
Dietary Fiber 8.6g 35 %
Protein 37.4g 75 %
** Sugars 5.8g
** Vitamin A 231 %
** Vitamin C 135 %
** Calcium 22 %
** Iron 64 %
** Thiamin 80 %
** Niacin 54 %
** Vitamin B6 36 %
** Magnesium 50 %
** Folate 218 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.