Cozy Pork Jowl Stew with Southern Black Eyed Peas
This cozy pork jowl with southern black-eyed peas recipe is the perfect comfort food for Sunday family dinner or any weeknight meal! Gluten and dairy free.
Servings: 8 -10 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dry black-eyed peas
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 lb. hog jowl diced (sub ham or bacon here)
- 2 1/2 tbsp. ghee or butter
- 1 onion or 2 shallots diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine peas and baking soda and add water to cover, and allow to soak overnight in the fridge or at least 6 hours. This process helps the beans soften and cook faster.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons butter along with the onions and garlic. Cook until fragrant and add in the chopped hog jowl. Cook until browned and crispy.
- Add drained peas along with the chicken broth and water. Season to taste
- Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer covered for about 1 1/2-2 hours. Be sure to add water throughout the cooking process to keep the peas covered, but not to make soup. This should be more of a thick stew consistency.
- Stir to prevent sticking on the bottom.
- Serve with cornbread and enjoy
Notes
Cornbread: If you want to serve your stew with some yummy cornbread, here is a recipe for browned butter jalapeno cornbread muffins from one of my favorite bloggers that is absolutely divine!
Dairy-Free: If you need this recipe to be dairy-free, simply replace the butter with vegan butter.
HOW TO THICKEN:If you want to thicken the black eyed pea stew, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/3 cup of the bean liquid or 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum with 1/4 cup of the bean juice. Slowly pour in small amounts and stir in the hot pot until you achieve the best consistency. You may not need the full mixture to get the consistency you want. Do a little at a time.
SOAKING THE BEANS:For me it is a must because it reduces cooking time by and hour/hour and a half. If you choose not to soak you will need to add an extra hour to cook time