Go Back
Print

Hoppin' John

Ingredients

  • 1 c. Sea Island red peas
  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • 1 Tbsp. table salt
  • 1 c. onion chopped 1/2" dice
  • 2-3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1/2 large green bell pepper chopped
  • 6 oz. pork belly or thick sliced bacon*
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 4-5 green onions thinly sliced for garnish
  • 1 1/2 c. long grain rice*
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. Soak your peas overnight or 4-5 hours in the morning. After soaking place drain peas.
  2. In 4-6 quart pan add the rinsed peas, 3 quarts of water (you may have to add some as they cook - I did not.) Bring to boil over high heat and then reduce to medium-low; cover and simmer until peas are tender, about 50 minutes.
  3. Reserve 2 1/4 cups of the pea liquid and transfer the ham hock to plate and chop meat off the bone. Set aside. Drain the peas in colander. You can do this part in advance and refrigerate peas for at least one day.
  4. In the same pot you cooked the peas in add the olive oil and when hot brown the onion, bell pepper and the garlic. Saute until vegetables are soft and onions starting to get translucent. Stir in the rice until grains are coated with the oil, about 2 minutes. Add in the salt, pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder, paprika and cayenne pepper. Stir in the reserved pea cooking liquid and the chopped ham hock; bring to simmer, cover with lid. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes without removing lid until rice is done. Turn off heat and let sit for about 10 minutes. Fluff before serving.
  5. For the pork belly or thick bacon, saute it in a skillet until crisp. Set aside for garnish.
  6. To serve, heap a couple of big spoonfuls on your plate and top with the fried pork belly/pork steak/bacon and top with some thinly sliced green onion. I served some pickled jalapeno peppers with mine and my husband had some chow chow with his.

Recipe Notes

*If you have no pork belly, a good substitute would be some chopped pork steak. Several recipes I looked at called for Carolina Gold rice which I could not find. Also, I don't think I used enough salt because I kept adding salt as I ate the dish. Make sure you put the salt in the water when you cook the peas.