Jan 01 2009
That Time of Year Again…
Happy New Year! I’ll leave the wistful reflections on 2008 and the hopes and dreams of the year ahead of us to someone else. For the record, 2008 was a good year for me and mine. 2009 may prove to be bumpy, but I’m optimistic for the most part. Now, for the business at hand.
While I am not a superstitionalist, I am a traditionalist who subscribes to the practice of serving blackeyed peas and collard greens on January 1. I don’t for a minute believe that eating peas and collards on New Year’s Day will make me more lucky or prosperous. It does make me happy, though, which is the main thing. I had the afternoon off yesterday, so I got an early start by smoking up the front yard along with some thick slices of ham hocks.
Now, one can purchase smoked ham hocks off the shelf. They tend to be gray and bland, though, so I wouldn’t bother. I’ve been smoking my own ham hocks for a few years now and I am always blown away by the difference that extra smokiness makes in a pot of peas and especially to the collard greens. Finding fresh ham hocks can sometimes be a challenge, most grocers seem to only carry the pre-smoked hocks. If you don’t have a friendly neighborhood butcher shop to take care of you (alas, I do not) you’ll likely be able to find the best selection of useful pig parts in local, urban groceries as opposed to your suburban Megalo-Marts.
About 2 hours over a slow charcoal fire along with hickory chips to generate some smoke is plenty of time to develop a ton of flavor. For seasoning, I sprinkled a little of Lucious the Kings Barbeque Seasoning on my hocks (shameless promotion: you can buy it here) but the smoke flavor is the most important part of the equation. I have been asked if the ham hocks have a tendency to get tough. Perhaps, but because they will be cooked long and slow in a pot of peas (and to a lesser extent, the greens) they will be tender to the point of falling apart.
I got a little wrapped around the axle last night when I discovered that there had been the usual run on dried peas (to be expected, we are in The South) and I had failed to plan far enough ahead. The second grocery we visited had four bags left. I grabbed one and briefly considered taking the rest in a greedy fit, but my conscience (and my wife) advised me against it.
So far the New Year is shaping up nicely. The kitchen is becoming fragrant as the peas and hocks are working in the crock pot, the coffee is done, and I am quietly typing this as the rest of the house recovers from a wild New Year’s Eve. Wild for us is a snack food freakout, watching a subtitled French film on the DVR, and dragging ourselves to bed before 11:00 p.m.
Happy New Year and thanks for reading. I wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2009. Now get cooking!
