New Year’s Hoppin’ John Recipe with Kale

Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is an old Southern tradition in the U.S. In fact, black-eyed peas have been a symbol of luck and prosperity since Biblical times at least. Here’s a delicious way to enjoy their tasty, lucky goodness this year.

History of Hoppin’ John

Hoppin’ John is a traditional New Year’s dish from the American South that is made with bacon, salt pork or hog jowl, black-eyed peas, greens like collards or kale, and sometimes rice. The peas, since they swell when cooked, symbolize prosperity; the greens symbolize money; the pork, because pigs root forward when foraging, represent positive motion.

Some say the dish is named for an old, hobbled man called Hoppin’ John who became known for selling peas and rice on the streets of Charleston, South Carolina, but most food historians think the name comes from a French term for dried peas, “pois pigeons,” which is pronounced PWAH pee-JON. It’s also uncertain why the dish became associated with New Year’s and good luck.

I don’t use rice in my Hoppin John, keeping it lower carb and grain free.

Hoppin’ John New Year’s Traditions

Some people believe you should cook your New Year’s Hoppin’ John recipe with a new dime or penny, or add it to the pot before serving. The person who finds the coin in their portion is said to be extra lucky that year.

Some traditions say you should eat exactly 365 peas on New Year’s Day. If you eat any less, you’ll only be lucky for that many days. (I guess on leap years, you need to eat an extra pea!) And of course, if you eat any more than 365 peas, it turns those extra days into bad luck.

Some say you should leave one pea on your plate, to share your luck with someone else. Others say if you don’t eat every pea on your plate, your luck will be bad. It’s also said that if you eat only black-eyed peas, and skip the pork, collard greens and the accompaniments, the luck won’t stick. They all work together or not at all.

But cultural mythology notwithstanding, this Hoppin’ John recipe is fast, easy, yummy and nutritious, so we enjoy this dish (minus the choking-hazard coin) anytime greens are in season—not just on New Year’s Day.

About Salt Pork

Salt pork is made by salt-curing pork belly, or, more rarely, fatback. Salt pork typically resembles uncut bacon, but, unlike bacon, it is typically fattier, saltier, and never smoked. This old method of preserving meat was used throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, and salt pork was a standard ration for soldiers and sailors during this time.

Salt pork is used today in traditional American cuisine, particularly Boston baked beans, pork and beans, Hoppin’ John, collard greens, and other soul food. It is also central to the flavor of clam chowder. If you aren’t sure where to get salt pork, ask for it at your butcher counter in your local grocery store or find it here.

Salt pork is so fatty, it can be hard to cut into pieces, so be sure to have a very large, very sharp knife for this job. To make it easier to cut, freeze your salt pork till it’s firm, but not solid, and then cut it. It will quickly defrost during cooking.

As it cooks down, salt pork will produce a lot of fat. You want to cook your peas, onions and greens in this fat. But, if you have an especially fatty cut of salt pork, sometimes there is just too much fat rendered out. In that case, pour some out into a dish until you have enough to sautée with, and add more back as needed. Be sure to use a splatter screen as this dish cooks!

More Pork Recipes

• Is Pork Bad for You?
• Stank-a-Dank” Slow Cooker Pork Spare Ribs
• Traditionally Prepared Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder
• How to Cure Bacon at Home