Recipe: Black-eyed Peas with Ham Hocks

This recipe is also from Texas Home Cooking by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. "This is an assertively seasoned version of one of the oldest, most popular ways to cook black-eyed peas, a method imported to Texas from the Deep South." Mo0lly, since the ham hocks would not be cooked properly or safely in 20 minutes, I think that I would start them ahead of time in the water, then add the fresh black-eyed peas later. In this dish you want the smoky flavor of the ham hocks to come through. Though the recipe doesn't say, when I use ham hocks for cooking beans, I remove them when they have started to fall off the bone and dice the meat, adding it back into the beans and discarding the skin,fat and bone(s).

Black-Eyed Peas with Ham Hocks

2 lbs. dries or frozen black-eyed peas
10 to 12 cups water
1 lb. smoked ham hocks (1 or 2 hocks)
1 1/2 medium onions chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup cider or white vinegar
2 Tbl. pure liquid hickory smoke, optional
1 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. celery seeds
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt, or more, to taste

Put all the ingredients except the salt into a good sized stock pot and bring them to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the peas are very tender, but not mushy, aboput 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. (Frozen peas generally cook faster). Stir occasionally, adding more water if necessary. Add salt toward the end of the cooking time, after the other flavors have mingled together. The peas should have some extra liquid when cooked, but they should not be soupy. Serve the peas warm. They keep for 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator, and they freeze well.