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So WHY EAT Hog Jowl, Black-Eye Peas, Collard Greens and Cornbread on New Year's Day
Jan 1, 2014
| Yosemitest
Posted on 01/01/2014 8:41:27 PM PST by Yosemitest
My brother's wife wanted to know the history behind the southern tradition of the New Year's Day meal, and that started a search.
I thought I'd share it with you.
First, let me show you What hog jowl is, is, by J.A. Bolton Storyteller
I hope your family will be enjoying the traditional meal of collards, black-eyed peas, hog jowl and cornbread for New Years Day.
I thought in todays column I would try to explain some of the folklore and customs behind the delicious meal we observe here in the south on New Years.
I probably need to explain what a hog jowl is.
Some of our Yankee friends have never heard of this cut of pork.
Its the cheek of the hog.
It tastes and cooks similar to thick cut bacon.
Its a tough cut that is typically smoked and cured.
Hog jowl is used to season beans and peas or fried like bacon.
Hogs and pigs have long been a symbol of wealth and gluttony.
Its why we say someone is being a pig when they take more than their share.
Some people believe that
the more pork you eat for New Years,the better your luck will be in the coming year.
So WHY hog jowl?The short answer is that we eat cured pork because its winter time.
Hog jowl is a cured meat which stores well over long periods and its always been cheap.
Plus it goes well with black-eyed peas and collard greens.
Most southerners will tell you that the humble black-eye dates back to the Civil War.Black-eye peas were considered as animal feed (pea vine hay).
When General Shermans Union troops came through, it was said thatwhat they couldnt use they burnt.
Lucky for the south the Union Army didnt know much about the black-eye peas,and thats what southern people lived off of for the winter.
Peas became a symbol of coppers or pennies.
My folks said that for every pea you ate, it would bring you a penny.
Folks say you should eat exactly 365 peas on New Yearsifn you want enough to make it through the coming year.
If you ate more it would meanyou would lose one for as many days.
I reckon it all goes back to making a pig of yourself.
Want to get rich this year?
Here in the south, collard greens and cornbread bring in the big bucks.Collards are a late crop and are mostly grown here in the south.
Heard the saying boil them cabbage down ?
The same goes for collards since its part of the cabbage family.
The traditional way to cook collardsis to strip the leaves from the stem of the collard leaves,
wash several times,
cut up and place them in a big pot with bits of hog jowl or a ham hock.
When tender, remove from the pot and drain off the pot licker.
Ill tell you more about the pot licker in another story.
For the best cornbread,use a cup of self rising cornmeal,
half cup of flour,
a pinch of sugar and salt,
one egg,
half cup of milk nd a handful of pork cracklins.
Mix all the ingredients together.
Grease an old cast iron frying pan and place it in an oven at 400 degrees.
Cook for about 20 minutes but turn over after 10 minutes.
It should come out golden brown on both sides.
I know the doctor is going to say that eating this way will run up your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, but what the heck.
You need to start off enjoying the New Year.
Dont forget thatpork is for luck,peas for pennies,collard greens for dollars
Hope you have a happy and prosperous new year
and dont forget to live, ... love ... and laugh.
Now for a recipe from Black-Eyed Peas and Hog Jowl - New Year's Day Tradition .
This is not culinary masterpiece. Having it once a year will be fine for most.
But, its tradition, fun to do, and it's for good luck. It can't hurt.
I served mine with some picked onions I made a year or so back.
Ingredients 1 small slab of Hog Jowl
1 15 ounce can Black-Eyed Peas
Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Cut the hog jowl into thin bacon like strips.
In a large skillet, fry hog jowl over medium low to medium heat until desired doneness and crispness.
Place hog jowl on a platter lined with paper towel to drain.
During this time, heat black eyes peas in a sauce pan over medium heat until hot.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serves good luck for 365 days
I find hog howl in a whole piece.
But, I have read on other blogs where they have found it pre-sliced.
I have never found it that way.
If you slightly freeze your hog jowl, it will make slicing it a little easier about 20 minutes in your freezer.
You will get a good amount of fat renderings from the hog jowl and if you fry it too hot a lot of smoke.
Here's the Southern Style Collard Greens
But I disagree with their cooking time for good greens, because 45 minutes is just too short, and I recommend about 2 and one half to three hours cooking time, with a little splash of apple vinegar.
Click on the link to get it,
and if the greens taste too strong, just dump the water, rinse them, and add new water and cook a little longer.
You can find Southern-Style Cornbread here.
And you can get some stone ground whole corn meal here or here at Kymulga Grist Mill.
TOPICS: Education; Food; History; Reference
KEYWORDS: civilwar; collars; cornbread; happynewyear; jewishpractice; jowl; lubiya; ms; peas; rubiya; traditions; wtsherman
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Enjoy, and Happy New Year.
To: Yosemitest
American by birth. Southern by the grace of God.
2
posted on
01/01/2014 8:44:32 PM PST
by
Hoodat
(Democrats - Opposing Equal Protection since 1828)
To: Yosemitest
I just go with ham...............
3
posted on
01/01/2014 8:48:12 PM PST
by
yldstrk
(My heroes have always been cowboys)
To: Yosemitest
We forego the hog jowl and have fried cabbage as our *greens*.
4
posted on
01/01/2014 8:50:13 PM PST
by
Jane Long
(While Marxists continue the fundamental transformation of the USA, progressive RINOs assist!)
To: Yosemitest
In SC they eat Hoppin John
To: Yosemitest
Red beans and rice with ham, Andouille sausgage and french bread for supper tonight.
6
posted on
01/01/2014 8:52:09 PM PST
by
Rebelbase
(Tagline: optional, printed after your name on post)
To: Yosemitest
Mrs. Hugin is Russian/Polish descent, so the lucky meal is kielbasa, sauerkraut and dumplings every New Year.
7
posted on
01/01/2014 8:54:38 PM PST
by
Hugin
To: Tennessee Nana
That’s what Mrs. 2ndDivisionVet made.
8
posted on
01/01/2014 8:57:05 PM PST
by
2ndDivisionVet
(A courageous man finds a way, an ordinary man finds an excuse.)
To: Yosemitest
We had our black eyed peas and ham hock, we are OK for 2014!
9
posted on
01/01/2014 8:58:04 PM PST
by
Ditter
To: Yosemitest
I’d put it in the garbage!
10
posted on
01/01/2014 9:00:33 PM PST
by
dalereed
To: Yosemitest
Mother used to always cook black eyed peas and hog jowls for new years day. She almost never cooked collard greens because I didn’t like them. If one member of her family didn’t like something she would very seldom cook it.
She did cook mustard greens and turnip greens. Also what she called corn bread but everyone else calls corn pone. She also cooked an unusually good “hoe cake”.
Mother cooked Southern because that is the way her Mother cooked. She use a lot of grease but only a fraction of what my paternal grandmother used. Grandmother’s greens would be swimming in grease.
My brother said the reason Mother’s vegetables were so good was she used grease but not a lot.
11
posted on
01/01/2014 9:08:19 PM PST
by
yarddog
(Romans 8: verses 38 and 39. "For I am persuaded".)
To: Yosemitest
HNY! I’m a northerner but just bought a bag of Martha White he other day. Cracklins, now yer talkin!
12
posted on
01/01/2014 9:14:17 PM PST
by
bigbob
(The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly. Abraham Lincoln)
To: Yosemitest
Why eat it? Because its GOOD!
13
posted on
01/01/2014 9:16:34 PM PST
by
Lurker
(Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
To: Yosemitest
I have a buddy in Alaska visiting, we had King and Snow Crab..
Louisiana oysters and a bit of Jack..very satisfying
To: Yosemitest
Yum! I miss the bagels and lox, eggcreams, real NY-style pizza, but I love Southern cooking also. Pinging for later. Happy New Year everyone!
15
posted on
01/01/2014 9:32:52 PM PST
by
Impala64ssa
(You call me an islamophobe like it's a bad thing.)
To: Hoodat
If it ain't Dixie ... It won't do !
If It Ain't Dixie (It Won't Do) Lyrics
Oh, I love those Colorado RockiesAnd that big starry Montana sky
And the lights of San Francisco
Enjoyed those ballgames in ChicagoOn those windy afternoons
It's a big beautiful countryBut I'm never home too soon
It ain't Dixie,If it ain't Dixieit don't feel quite like home
My southern bloodruns deep and true, oh yeah
I've had good timesI've got a lotBut if it ain't Dixie,
When the leaves turn in New EnglandI love the chill that's in the air
I've walked the New York City sidewalksHad a big time in Times Square
But now my wheels, they're rollin' southwardHeaven's comin' into view, oh yeah
Home sweet home is AlabamaThat's what I look forward to
If it ain't Dixieit don't feel quite like home
My southern bloodruns deep and true, oh yeah
I've had good timesGot a lot of good friends too
If it ain't Dixie,If it ain't Dixie,
if it ain't Dixie Now my wheels are rollin' southwardAnd Heaven's comin' into view, oh yeah
Home sweet home is AlabamaThat's what I look forward to
If it ain't Dixie,If it ain't Dixie,
Songwriters JARRARD/ROBBINS
16
posted on
01/01/2014 9:41:45 PM PST
by
Yosemitest
(It's Simple ! Fight, ... or Die !)
To: Lurker
Yes Sir !!!
Had some black eyed peas today,, traditions as far back as I can remember. Didn’t know about the civil war story though.
Good read.... 364 days to go...:o)
Stay safe Buddy !
17
posted on
01/01/2014 9:42:57 PM PST
by
Squantos
( Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet ...)
To: yldstrk
After about 1985, pork, both smoked and fresh, just wouldn't stay down.
So I had to substitute beef fat, either original beef jerky, or normally cracked pepper flavored.
The taste isn't the same, but it IS good.
18
posted on
01/01/2014 9:45:08 PM PST
by
Yosemitest
(It's Simple ! Fight, ... or Die !)
To: Jane Long
There's not a lot of difference between bacon and hog jowl.
Both are smoked, salted and cured.
19
posted on
01/01/2014 9:46:14 PM PST
by
Yosemitest
(It's Simple ! Fight, ... or Die !)
To: Tennessee Nana
:-) South Texas, too. Hoppin John, boiled cabbage, & cornbread.
20
posted on
01/01/2014 9:53:24 PM PST
by
KGeorge
(Till we're together again, Gypsy girl. May 28, 1998- June 3, 2013)
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