Slow cooked ham hock black eyed peas

Getting ready for some New Year’s eve cooking. I want a hearty black eyed peas casserole, which I’ll be throwing into the crockpot tonight with a couple smoked ham hocks (a first try for me). I want the casserole to be fairly meaty, for which I got some smoked ham to throw in dices. I plan to get the meat from the hocks after and mix that in as well.

I intend to cook the dish overnight and keep it warm to serve in the early evening. Would throwing the diced ham into the mix from the beginning ruin that component’s texture, or can it benefit the casserole as a whole? Would I be better off cooking the BEPs with the hocks and adding the diced ham in the morning to sit with the casserole on warm for 10 hours?

Many thanks for the pointers!

slow-cooking beans

Best Answer

Diced ham is a great addition to any dried beans, peas, or lentils, especially for those of us who like a lot of meat in them. I would encourage you to add the diced ham later in the cooking process rather than at the beginning.

You should get plenty of seasoning from the ham hocks. And while the ham can add additional flavor, you run the risk of "washing out" the taste of the ham. (I learned this the hard way may years ago.) Long cooking doesn't hurt the texture of the ham so much, but it does seriously hurt the flavor.

Plus, it is possible to over-season or get too much salt in your dish. You don't want to do that either.

Ideally, the ham only needs to be added for enough time to heat it thoroughly and incorporate it into your dish. Your 10 hour idea may work fine, but I would think 4 to 6 hours would be sufficient. Again, you want to avoid losing flavor in the ham.

As a side note, slow cookers vary widely as temperatures go. Be sure to check the temperature of your dish on warm to ensure that it is not in the danger zone for many hours.

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How do you cook black-eyed peas and ham hocks?

In a large stockpot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil with black-eyed peas, ham hocks, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours, or until peas and ham hocks are tender.

Can you put ham in black-eyed peas?

Add chopped ham and reduce heat to medium, then cover with lid slightly ajar and cook until greens are soft, about 20 minutes. Check seasoning. To serve, put greens and meat in low soup bowls, then ladle over hot black-eyed peas. Sprinkle with scallions.

Do I need to soak black-eyed peas before cooking?

Soaking is not essential for black-eyed peas, but cooking time can be shortened if they get a quick soak in hot water (as opposed to a longer one in cold water, like other beans). Place dried peas in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove pot from heat and allow to stand for 60-90 minutes.

How long does it take for smoked ham hocks to cook?

Let the ham hocks simmer for 2 to 4 hours. The exact cooking time will vary depending on how many ham hocks you're cooking, how big they are, and the water temperature. Therefore, it can be helpful to begin checking on the meat after 2 hours to make sure they don't overcook.

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