Steamed Hoppin’ John (Black-Eyed Peas and Pork)

The tradition of eating black-eyed peas as a harbinger of good luck in a new year has roots in both Jewish and African-American cultures. While the history of this custom in the United States is more complicated than folklore suggests, hoppin’ John — a preparation of black-eyed peas with pork and rice — is broadly associated with Southern cuisine. If you’ve never tried it, this is absolutely the year (and the recipe) to start. I can’t promise it will bring luck, but it definitely brings the flavor.  This hoppin’ John starts with two kinds of pork and calls for frozen black-eyed peas. Everything makes its way into a big pot on the stove then all goes into the Anova Precision Oven for 40 minutes, yielding perfectly cooked, tender black-eyed peas. It’s served on a bed of Carolina Gold rice, also cooked in the Anova Precision Oven according to the rice 101 recipe — except instead of water, you’ll use the cooking liquid from the pork and beans.  And don’t be turned off by the number of steps in this recipe; every single one is easy and gradually adding the ingredients is what makes this simple dish taste so complex.