InstructionsReset

1. Soak and Soften the Black Eyed Peas

   1. Place the sorted and rinsed black eyed peas into the dutch oven and cover them with the cold water. Soak the peas on the countertop for 2-3 hours.
   2. Once the peas have soaked, drain off the soaking water. Give them a quick rinse under cold water before returning them to the dutch oven.
   3. Add 6 cups of cold water to the pot, then bring the water up to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Gently simmer the peas for 20 minutes. To prevent excess splitting of the peas, don't allow the water to boil.
   4. After simmering the peas, use a measuring cup or spoon to remove 2 cups of the cooking liquid from the pot. Once you've removed the cooking liquid, drain the rest away, then rinse the peas again in cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch from the bean's exterior.

2. Cook the Black Eyed Peas

   1. In a dutch oven over medium heat, heat the lard until it melts and begins to shimmer in the pot. Add the onion, green bell pepper, celery, jalapeño pepper, and garlic to the pot and sauté them for 2 minutes.
   2. Once the onions and peppers appear glossy, lower the temperature to medium-low and continue sautéing the mixture for 13 minutes.Cook the aromatics down to a pulp without allowing them to caramelize or burn them. If mixture on the bottom of your pot begins to turn dark brown, reduce the temperature and add a 1/4 cup of cold water to slow down the browning. The only color you want is a golden brown on the bottom of the pot.This mixture needs to cook it for the full 15 minutes, so adjust the heat accordingly.
   3. After 13 minutes, stir in the adobo (or seasoned salt), bay leaves, thyme, tomato paste, cumin, black pepper, allspice, and cayenne. Stir these into the sautéed veggies and cook until a thick paste forms, or for 1-2 minutes.
   4. Next, add the cold water, the reserved cooking liquid, ham hock, and the ham bouillon to the pot. Increase the heat to medium. Bring the liquid up to a gentle boil. Scrape the bottom of the pot with your spoon to lift any stuck-on bits of food.

3. Simmer, Then Thicken the Black Eyed Peas

   1. Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low once again and cover the pot. Simmer the liquid for 10 minutes to concentrate all of the flavors in the liquid.
   2. After 10 minutes of simmering, remove the thyme sprigs. Gently stir the softened black-eyed peas into the pot.
   3. Bring the liquid up to a gentle simmer. Avoid boiling the peas as that will cause a lot of them to split. Once the liquid comes to the correct temperature, cover the pot.Cook the peas for 20-30 minutes, gently stirring them every so often to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
   4. After 20 minutes of gentle cooking, taste for doneness. The peas should have slight texture to them but shouldn't be hard or crunchy. If they are, continue simmering them for another 10-15 minutes.
   5. To thicken the sauce, black-eyed peas use an immersion blender to blend just a small amount of the peas in the pot. If you prefer a thinner broth for your peas, you can just skip the blending. Once you have your preferred consistency, taste the broth with a couple of peas and adjust the seasonings to taste by adding a little more adobo or seasoned salt.
   6. Remove the ham hock and bay leaves from the pot. Shred or cut the meat from the hock and return the meat to the pot. Discard the bone (or save to use in soup) and the leaves. Serve the black-eyed peas spooned over Steamed White Rice and garnished with sliced green onions.