It's finally here and 2020 is finally out the door!
This Weeks Ramblings
It's a tradition in my family, and in some form or fashion across all of the south, to have black eyed peas, hog's jowl, and greens of some sort. In the south, and now other parts of the US, it's tradition to eat them for health, wealth, and luck in the new year. I don't know which piece of the meal goes with which benefit. I can't remember it ever being pointed out to me growing up. All I do remember is that it was very important to have all three on New Year's day.
Having all three was a big deal to my family, especially to my grandfather. We'd usually have them for lunch on New Year's day. Either my grandparents would come to our house for lunch, or we'd go to the farm. It's one of the few times I remember my grandparents coming to our house for a meal. Until her Alzhiemers made it where she could no longer cook, we always went to their house for holiday meals. That's with the exception of New Year's day. Maybe it was that no one wanted to try and pull two small boys away from their recently acquired horde of Christmas toys (I was eight, it seemed like a horde), but for whatever reason it seemed to always be at our house. At least that's the way I remember it.
I wasn't really wild about this particular holiday meal. Black eyed peas were pretty much a staple in our house growing up. My mother and grandmother would grow them in their gardens. We'd eat them freshly shelled from the garden in the summer and then canned the rest of the year. Yeah, they were canning before canning was cool. The greens were something we had a lot, especially in the fall. Most people eat collard greens but we ate turnip greens. They grew wild on my grandparents farm. Even as a little kid I loved wild picked turnip greens. I particularly liked them after the first frost. Wild ones have a stronger flavor than the garden raised ones (at least that's the way I remember them), and a light frost in the fall just ramps up that flavor even more. I know, I was a strange little child. The Picky Eater would argue that nothing has changed. Okay, the hogs jowl was a different story. I absolutely loved that (still do). For those uninitiated to hogs jowl, imagine a very tender, thick cut piece of extra smoky bacon with a chewy and crunchy edge on it. Hogs jowl, for those of you that are just now learning about it, comes from the cheek of the pig, and we only ate it on New Year's day. That was a once a year special treat.
This year for 2021 me and The Picky Eater wanted to follow tradition and make sure this year to have all three. After the way 2020 went we figure we need all the help we can get. There's one wrinkle in this though. The Picky Eater is a world-class bean hater (I know peas are peas, but YOU try telling her that). If black eyed peas are a problem, you can imagine her feelings about bitter, pungent, field greens then. And that would be why there's a pork chop and sweet potato in the picture. Advertise the chop and the potato and sneak the Bowl Of Happy New Year in when she's not looking! I know you think I'm making this up, but she has strong feelings about beans and bean-ish things and sharp greens, so I had my work cut out for me. Luckily, she likes bacon almost as much as she hates the other two parts. Ah, hogs jowl, that amped up bacon. Let's just say, slow cooking the peas and the greens in a Dutch oven with champaign (it is the day after NYE after all) and throwing in some crispy-fried hogs jowl has me hopeful. The three together, along with all the other ingredients, come together in a way that hints at all the parts that make it, but become something entirely new and wonderful. At least that's my opinion on it. It's not my opinion though that counts in this instance.
Did my evil plan work? I won't be writing this if it didn't! She loved the pork chop. She loved the baked sweet potato (okay, she made the sweet potatoes), and SHE LIKED THE PEAS and GREENS and HOGS JOWL! Yes, The Bowl Of Happy New Year is 100% Picky Eater approved. It kind of makes me feel like a proud parent.
So, enjoy the tender juicy pork chop, the creamy and buttery sweet potatoes, and get yourself some good luck, health, and wealth for the New Year. You'll never enjoy doing something good for you (that's if you believe the old tradition - I'm not sure if you're doctor will agree it's good for you) as much. I know we could all use a little more of all of it in the year that stretches out before us.
So, from me, The Crew, and The Picky Eater may you have a healthy and happy New Year!
A New Years Day Feast
A southern tradition with a twist.
My Thoughts
The New Year's Day Feast might be an overstatement, but it is a lot of food. It has a nice big, bone-in pork chop with a creamy sweet potato (which keeps The Picky Eater on board). It also checks all the boxes for the southern New Year's Day tradition of having black-eyed peas, greens, and hogs jowl, of which The Picky Eater is very suspect (she actually really liked the A Bowl Of Happy New Year). There's really nothing special happening here as far as crazy ingredients (no, the bowl is not crazy if you live or grew up in the south - it's tradition). It's really a matter of seasoning properly and cooking it perfectly (which you will do if you follow the instructions).
Difficulty
Medium
Makes
2 Servings
Tools
Time
Prep Time 30 min.
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 min.
The How To Do It
This is a complete meal. Follow the instructions for each of the individual portions (they follow after this).
Bad Murphy Barbecue Sauce
Mince one medium shallot. I like shallots for this because they are a little milder in taste and a little sweeter, but you could use a quarter of a red onion if that's what you've got.
If you are using the completely optional hot peppers, dice them up now. If you are using the peppers be sure to wear latex gloves and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES! The capsaicin (the chemical in a pepper that makes it hot) can make your skin burn as well as your mouth and I cannot even imagine getting it in my eyes (best to beware of touching ANY sensitive parts).
Another warning about the peppers. Be careful about leaning over the pot while sauteing. The capsaicin can be vaporized with the water and get into your eyes as well. It wouldn't be quite as bad as getting it directly in, but it still would not be fun.
Add the beer (I use something like a summer ale - light, fruity and not too strong of a flavor) and let cook for about five minutes.
Add the ketchup, molasses, honey, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, spicy mustard, and apple cider vinegar and stir to combine.
Next, add all the dry ingredients and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. This is to let the dry spices heat up and release any stored-up oils into the sauce (it just tastes better when you do this).
Poke the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, coat them in olive oil and a salt, and wrap them individually with aluminum foil.
Bake for at least 3-3.5 hours or until soft.
Take the potatoes out of the oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes, or until they are cool enough to take out of the aluminum foil.
Cut a slit into each one and add whatever topping(s) you like. I prefer just butter and maybe a little salt (if the butter is unsalted). The Picky Eater sometimes likes hers with honey, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
Cut six strips of the hogs jowl into small cubes about 1/4 - 1/2-inch pieces and cook them over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes, or until they are cooked through and a good portion of the fat has rendered off.
While the hogs jowl is cooking dice the onion and mince the garlic.
In a Dutch oven, place either 2 tablespoons of oil or 2 tablespoons of renderings from the hogs jowl, and heat it over medium high heat.
Once the oil is hot, saute the onions for 4-5 minutes and then add the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Add the champagne and cook it down until it is reduced by about half (usually about 5 minutes).
Add the black-eyed peas and mix everything.
Next add the cooked hogs jowl and chopped greens and stir until the greens are nicely wilted.
Add the salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and barbecue sauce and mix thoroughly.
Cover and cook for 30 minutes over low heat (I have an electric range so I have to use another eye, simply reducing the heat keeps everything way too hot).
Coat the chops with olive oil and a liberal amount of the dry rub seasoning (recipe follows or use your favorite from the store).
In a 12-inch cast iron heat two tablespoons of oil (or if you're frying bacon for any other reason, use the drippings) over medium-high heat.
Sear the first side for 4 minutes or until the it is nice and brown on the outside and a nice crust forms.
Flip and sear the second side 2 minutes.
Place a thermometer into one of the chops and move the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the thermometer reads 155° (if you don't like the idea of see the recipe for Filet Mignon and the bit about thermometers).
Remove the chops from the oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes.
