Tex-Mex Black Eyed Peas And Ham

• Meat

  • 10 slices Bacon, thick cut cooked and crumbled
  • 3 tbsp Bacon drippings
  • 10 oz Ham, cooked smoked

• Produce

  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 1 lb Black eyed peas, Dry
  • 4 tbsp Cilantro, fresh
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 1/3 cup Jalapeno or poblano or green pepper
  • 1 Sweet onion, Medium

• Canned Goods

  • 1/2 cup 2 [14.5 oz] cans low sodium chicken broth [plus, low sodium
  • 1 14.5 oz] can Chili seasoned tomatoes [i used del monte zesty chili style

• Condiments

  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 Black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/2 tsp Chili powder, dark
  • 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 3/4 tsp Cumin, ground

• Other

  • ¾ tsp seasoned salt [more or less to your taste]

Found on melissassouthernstylekitchen.com

Description

Ingredients

• 1 lb dry black eyed peas, rinsed and picked over
• 10 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3 Tbsp bacon drippings
• 1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
• ⅓ cup diced jalapeno or poblano or green pepper
• 10 oz cooked smoked ham, cubed
• 1 [14.5 oz] can chili seasoned tomatoes [I used Del Monte Zesty Chili Style]
• 2 [14.5 oz] cans low sodium chicken broth [plus ½ cup]
• Seasonings:
• ¾ tsp seasoned salt [more or less to your taste]
• ¾ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp dark chili powder
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3-4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

• Place the peas into a colander and rinse well, remove any debris. Place into a pot and cover with water and allow to soak on the counter overnight.
• Before cooking, drain and rinse well.
• On the stove top, in a large pot or dutch oven, cook the bacon until crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings. To the pot add the diced green pepper of your choice and diced onion. [tip: If, you choose to use a hot pepper, such as a jalapeno, you may need less than ⅓ cup, use your best judgement and alter the amount to your taste.]
• Cook until tender, scraping all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the diced ham, and saute for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the rinsed black eyed peas, chicken broth, canned tomatoes, and seasonings to the pot. Reserve half of the cilantro to stir into the peas at the end of cooking. Season with black pepper to your taste.
• Simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes until the peas are tender.
• Remove the bay leaf, then taste and adjust the seasoned salt and pepper if needed.
• Simmer an additional 15 minutes without the lid until the liquid becomes a bit thickened.
• Stir in the remaining cilantro just before serving.
• Serve with a scoop of rice and garnish with bacon crumbles.