A Bowl Of Happy New Year!

Get your greens, black-eyed peas, and hogs jowl all in one easy and tasty place

Dinner

My Thoughts

In the south it is a tradition to eat black-eyed peas, hogs jowl, and some kind of greens on New Years day. If you do it's supposed to lead to the new year bringing you health, luck, and wealth. I've never been completely sure which item brings which. I've always supposed that the greens bring the wealth because, well, there green. But then again, when people are living the good life they eat "high on the hog" so maybe that's the wealth. That would make since because I'm not sure how the hogs jowl is going to bring you health. It makes bacon seem like a healthy portion of granola (it is tasty though). For some reason I want to think that the peas are for luck, but I don't really know. I do know this is away to take care of all three in one delicious bowl (or plate, it's your call).

I do know that hogs jowl is something that I eat only on New Year's day and it is a smokey, salty, porky, and crunchy bite wonderfulness. For those of you that don't know, it's basically a pigs cheek and it resembles a skin-on thick cut bacon.

The greens can be anything. My family always uses turnip greens. Most people use collard greens and personally, I'm sticking with the turnip greens. I've loved those dark, bitter, and oh so flavorful greens since I was little. I know, I'm weird. The Picky Eater will back you up on that. I don't care.

Anyway, this tradition is something that appears to be lost on The Picky Eater. At least she always acts like it's something she didn't grow up with (I think she's lying). I think it's just that she won't give beans a chance. I know they're peas not beans, but try telling that to The Picky Eater.

This concoction, I have no other way to describe it, I made it up out of desperation to get The Picky Eater to agree to eat this. AND SHE DID. It was like the old Life cereal commercials with Mikey. The Picky Eater ate it! She didn't eat all of it, mind, but she ate about half of it! It's Picky Eater Approved, so you know you're going to love it. FYI, if you get the urge to have it some other time of year, bacon makes a perfectly good substitute for the hogs jowl. I can usually find the greens all year, but I do live in the south so I can't talk to other parts of the county.

The How To Do It

  1. 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.
  2. While the hogs jowl is cooking dice the onion and mince the garlic.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Add the champagne and cook it down until it is reduced by about half (usually about 5 minutes).
  6. Add the black-eyed peas and mix everything.
  7. Next add the cooked hogs jowl and chopped greens and stir until the greens are nicely wilted.
  8. Add the salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and barbecue sauce and mix thoroughly.
  9. 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).

Bad Murphy Barbecue Sauce

  1. 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.
  2. 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).
  3. Sauté the shallots (and peppers if you are going that route) in a medium saucepan.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Add the ketchup, molasses, honey, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, spicy mustard, and apple cider vinegar and stir to combine.
  7. 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).
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Ingredients

A Bowl Of Happy New Year!
1 cup
hogs jowl
*diced
2 cups
turnip greens
15 ozs
black-eyed peas
1 sml
red onion
¼ cup
champagne
*optional
1 tbsp
barbecue sauce
*recipe follows
2 tbsp
olive oil
1 tsp
granulated garlic
½ tsp
kosher salt
½ tsp
black pepper
Barbecue Sauce
2 cups
ketchup
1 med
shallot
½ cup
beer
¼ cup
molasses
¼ cup
honey
1 tbsp
dijon mustard
1 tbsp
hot whole grain mustard
1 tsp
cayenne pepper
1 tsp
ancho chili powder
1 tsp
chipolte chili powder
2 tsp
granulated garlic
1 tbsp
smoked paprika
1 tsp
smoked tumeric
1 tbsp
Worcestershire sauce
½ cup
apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp
avocado oil
½ tsp
kosher salt
½ tsp
black pepper
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