Crock-Pot Southern Black-Eyed Peas With Ham Hock
Black-eyed peas are a classic New Year’s Day meal that many believe brings luck and wealth in the year to come. Although it’s impossible to prove if your luck comes from a tasty bowl of peas, what’s true is that our easy crock-pot recipe makes these peas doable at any point in the year, no need for a special occasion. You need one hour of hands-on cooking, and then let your slow cooker do its magic. Bacon, ham hock, and seasonings bring out all the earthy flavor of black-eyed peas.
Black-eyed peas are high in fiber and folate, filled with protein, and low in fat. Just a 100-gram serving of dried black-eyed peas has 24 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber, and just 1 gram of fat.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
- 1 large smoked ham hock
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 to 4 strips bacon, diced and fried
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 minced clove garlic
- 3 cups water
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Place the peas in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and cover with water to at least 3 inches over the peas. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then simmer for 15 minutes, drain, and reserve.
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Place the ham hock, onion, celery, carrots, bacon, cayenne pepper, and garlic in the slow cooker. Add 3 cups of water.
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Cover the ingredients and cook on high for 1 hour.
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Add the drained peas to the slow cooker.
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Set the crock pot on low, cover, and cook for 5 to 7 hours, stirring halfway.
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Once the cooking time is done, remove the ham hock from the pot, pick the meat, and shred it or chop it depending on your preference. Add the meat back to the peas.
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Taste for seasoning and add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. Stir well.
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Serve the peas with your favorite sides and enjoy.
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