Okay, guys. I said I was going to do a post about 
making blackeyed peas for New Year’s Day in my smothered cabbage post, so I’m making good on it today. Making blackeyed peas is simple. The more crap you put in it, the more questionable the taste. The only meat I put in mine is either salted pork or pickled pork, but if you use pickled pork, make sure you rinse it well before cutting it up and putting it in your blackeyes. I learned a hard lesson when I lived in Independence, LA. I cooked a whole mess of blackeyed peas using pickled pork and never rinsed the excess pickling stuff off of the pork before putting it in the pot. Well, my intestines didn’t take too kindly to the onslaught of vinegar/citric acid and they took their revenge the next day. I was on my way back home to Independence from Baton Rouge on I-12. We all had to exit the interstate because some genius hauling rocket fuel wrecked and spilled it all the way across the interstate. So, the masses, including me, pass on highway 190 through all these tiny charming little towns with the local police directing traffic (because redirecting traffic from I-12 to 190 is like shoving a watermelon through a straw). Well, that made for a LONG trip home and by the time I got to Albany, my intestines had built up a good bit of gas. I don’t need to tell you folks about the laws of physics. They basically work the same in space as they do in your abdomen. More room out than in. And out it started coming. I was the sole occupant of my truck, so my friends and family can thank heaven for that. Now, normally, I enjoy bathroom humor. Fart jokes, etc. crack me up. Folks, I am here to tell you that this flatulence was no laughing matter. The odorous emissions that were coming out of me curled my nose hairs. I couldn’t even stand my own brand. It was astounding. I had to roll my windows down and hope that the noxious fumes didn’t knock out the poor town cops that were directing traffic as I passed by. By the time I got home, I kept the windows rolled down just to air out the cab of the truck. I have rinsed my pickled pork ever since, and I suggest you do the same. Normally, I have an iron constitution and I’m not very susceptible to the cliché stomach ailments, but this threw me for a loop. I can laugh about it now (and so can you), but back then, I was NOT amused.
1 lb. Camelia brand blackeyed peas (you can use off brands, but be forewarned that the quality is going to be lower. I have found small stones and rotten beans in other brands, but never in Camelia packages.)
1/4 to 1/2 pound of salted or pickled pork
small yellow onion, minced
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
salt, to taste
Rinse and inspect beans. Place in a large pot with the meat, onion, oil and salt. Add 8 to 9 cups of water. You may have to add a little water while it simmers. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a vigorous simmer and cover. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. The beans are ready when you can easily mash them in a spoon with a fork. When the beans are tender, using a large serving spoon (I mean like a gumbo spoon–not a tablespoon), mash the beans in the spoon with a fork. Repeat a couple of times. This releases the starch from a few of the beans and makes them nice and creamy. If the beans are still too thin, you can stir a tablespoon of corn starch into 1/2 cup of warm water and add to the pot to thicken it up. Repeat if necessary. Beans cooked like this freeze extremely well, so you can cook them ahead of time. Happy New Year!