Jacques Pépin once said on Essential Pépin that dried legumes can't really absorb more water after about two hours of soak time (I'm paraphrasing of course). Yes, I know the internet tries to convince you to soak all day and overnight, but I put it to the test. I found that an overnight soak made the cowpeas way too mushy for the cooking time, whereas a one-hour soak needed another 30 minutes of simmering time.
My gramma never did the overnight soak. In fact, I don't remember her doing any soaking ever, but her stove was going basically all afternoon anyway, so she probably just did the hot soak method and kept rolling. The two-hour pre-soak is just long enough to come out as "tender-crisp" as much as legumes could, with that satisfying texture that is not mushy or not too hard.
If you haven't heard of salt pork, well, it's a pretty common ingredient in the South. It looks just like bacon but acts different in that it adds a deep umami and saltiness to this dish. You should adjust the qty of salt pork to your family's palate instead of seasoning the pot with actual salt, since a little bit of salt pork goes a long way.
If you look at other common recipes, they try to convince you to use bacon, but those are just bloggers that have never actually made a dish like this, much less even know what it's supposed to taste like. Besides, bacon is so expensive these days that I hope you didn't just watch the video, grab your breakfast, and throw it in the pot instead of the salt pork. Part of the cooking method is to remove it at the end once it's been rendered anyway, and who would ever eat boiled soggy flavorless bacon?
Country rib used to be a widely available cut of trimmed boneless pork shoulder. Since the Pandemic, I can't readily find it at my local butcher shops or markets. Sometimes Publix offers it, but those cuts have so much gristle that it just wasn't worth the price nor the time it takes to trim it.
Therefore, I removed the country rib from the recipe. Growing up, we would mostly eat this dish in the wintertime around the Holidays, and my gramma would add chunks of ham to the pot when she had some. The country rib was my addition to the dish, since I don't really buy ham butts. If you can find a meaty cut of country rib, by all means cube it up, brown it on all sides, and add it back to the pot towards the end to finish cooking.
A common substitute I like is smoked turkey wings, because they are inexpensive and add a nice smoky flavor to the pot. Since the turkey is already cooked, wait until about 15 minutes before the simmering is done to add them, and at the end, pick the meat off the skin and bones, then add it back to the pot. I've even had this with smoked turkey legs and it's divine!
Grab your favorite pot and make this dish for people you love!
Enjoy this timeless dish that starts with a pre-soak for the black-eyed peas before they mingle in a slow stovetop simmer. Perfect as a New Year's recipe to invite good luck into your home, it also shines for cozy Sunday dinners that bring everyone together with its warm, satisfying flavors.
Spread the beans out on a baking tray and sift through, picking out any debris or broken pieces. In a large bowl, add the beans, fill to the top with water, then set aside to presoak for at least two hours. You can also soak up to overnight if preferred.
In a Dutch Oven over medium-high heat, arrange the salt pork in a single layer to render while you finish prepping. Don’t forget to flip the salt pork to brown on both sides.
At the cutting board:
Remove the salt pork and set aside. To the empty pot, add the onion and sauté in the rendered oil until softened and translucent, about 6 minutes. Then add the garlic, black pepper, and (optional) cayenne pepper, and bloom for 30 seconds. When you smell the garlic, it is bloomed.
Add the water and bay leaves to the pot, give a good stir, then turn the heat up high to boil.
Add the stock, water, and bay leaves to the pot and give a good stir. Turn the heat up high to boil.
At the soaking bowl, discard any beans that are floating and remove any ghost skins you see. Drain the beans into a colander, rinse the beans thoroughly, and add finally add them directly to the pot and give another stir.
Once the pot is boiling, cover, and lower the heat to a slow simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pick out and discard the bay leaves and boiled pieces of salt pork. Taste a few beans to make sure they are cooked through, and if necessary, adjust the seasoning with salt.
For a creamier consistency, scoop a few ladles of beans into a saucer and mash them with the bottom of the ladle, a small glass, or a potato masher. Add this back to the pot and stir through. This is the proper technique to finish the dish.
This dish pairs really well with our Southern Skillet Cornbread recipe.
References: River Road Recipes (The Junior League of Baton Rouge)
Thank you for visiting RediscoveringRecipes.com and exploring our recipes! We're delighted you found one worth printing and keeping.
Please come back soon to rate and review it. We'd love to see your feedback!