As a southerner, I’ve had Hoppin’ John—rice and black-eyed peas with pork—on New Year’s Day nearly every year of my entire life. Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day is supposed to bring luck (although no one’s quite sure why), and I’m certain that even when I was an infant my grandmother mashed up the peas and rice for me to ensure that I’d be lucky.

This is real-deal southern cooking, and there are as many recipes as there are southerners.In my version, I make a rice pilaf separately from the peas so that the rice stays firmer and fluffier than it would if they were cooked together or if the rice were just steamed. I also cook the peas in chicken broth instead of water for some extra flavor. The result is a bowl of hearty goodness, which, lucky or not, is the perfect way to start a new year.

Need To Know

Buy dried black-eyed peas from a store with high turnover.You can count on recently harvested dried peas to cook up quickly and be tender.

尽早加盐。The notion of salt slowing down the cooking process is a myth. Dried beans cook faster when salt is added at the beginning because it helps break down their cell walls.

增强汤。Simmering the pork along with the peas gives the broth a deeper flavor for tastier beans.

Fresh black-eyed peas are another option.There’s no need to soak them, and they’ll cook faster than dried, so you should simmer the pork in the broth for about 20 minutes before adding the peas to get the full flavor. avoid canned or frozen peas—they’ll turn mushy in this recipe.

Bake the pilaf in the oven.米饭可以在炉灶上或在烤箱中煮熟，但烤箱均匀地提供热量分布，使得Pilaf蓬松，并带有单独的谷物。

装饰Hoppin的John和腌制的香蕉辣椒，增加颜色，热量和酸度。传统上，它也搭配辣酱 - 任何优秀的南方品牌，例如水晶，塔巴斯科或德克萨斯州皮特。

Several Types of Pork Will Work

I like to keep my options open, so I’ve included several choices for the pork component in my Hoppin’ John recipe. here’s a guide to help you pick.

Hog jowl可以说是最传统的猪肉切割（也是我最喜欢的猪肉），乔尔来自猪的脸颊，经常被吸烟。非常胖的削减，这将导致丰富的霍平约翰饰有小猪肉。

BaconThick-cut bacon makes a good, easy-to- find substitute for hog jowl. It gives the final dish a smoky flavor, and chewy little pieces of bacon add texture.

Ham hockHam hocks, which come from the lower leg, are most often sold smoked and cured. They’re also traditional and will add ham flavor to the hoppin’ John.

Salt porkLike bacon, this comes from the side or belly of the pig, but instead of being smoked, it’s cured in salt, which leaves it much fattier. It won’t give the Hoppin’ John a smoky flavor, as the other meats do, but it’s rich and flavorful.