According to legendary Southern gossip, black-eyed peas are associated with the “mystical and mythical power to bring good luck.” Which is how these good luck beans found their way into many folks’ New Year’s Day traditions.
Including mine.
Saying goodbye to 2020 can’t come soon enough for many of us. I can safely state that as a fact. Still, I’m not going to partake of too much 2020 bashing. We’ve all been bruised in varying degrees. Besides the end of 2020 offers some glimmer of hope. I’ll keep my sights on that and encourage us all to start the year off on the right foot. Which, like good luck beans, is one of those New Year superstitions. Did you know when they say start on the “right foot” they don’t mean the “correct foot”? So stand with me at the stroke of midnight and raise your left foot and we can all start 2021 on the right foot.
Not that I’m superstitious.
Still, I hope you have the good fortune to give this recipe for good luck beans a try. It’s sweet and spicy and that’s about as lucky as life gets these days. Which sounds a bit like the end-of-year bashing I promised to avoid. But the truth is I’m thrilled to see the big ugly backside of 2020 walk out the door. GREG
PS As an aside. Do you soak dried beans? Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. A lot of recipes will tell you that soaking beans overnight is non-negotiable, but is that really the case? Beans that have not been soaked will take longer to cook, but they will, indeed, cook. In my experience the best argument for soaking is an aesthetic one. There will be fewer burst beans. Sometimes I care about that and sometimes I don’t.
I don’t always soak my beans before cooking. But in this case, I did.
Ingredients
1 pounddried black-eyed peas(sorted)
3 tablespoonolive oil
1 yellow onion(chopped)
4 clovegarlic(peeled and chopped)
2 tablespoonyellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoonkosher salt(or more to taste)
1 teaspooncayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
3–4 fresh sprigs thyme
1 cupguajillo BBQ sauce(see recipe)
cilantro pesto(to taste, see recipe)
Directions
Soak the beans in water 8 to 12 hours. Drain well and set aside.
Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic; cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard seeds, salt, cayenne, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the black-eyed peas and enough water to cover by about 1‑inch. Simmer until tender and creamy but not yet falling apart, about 30 minutes depending on beans. Add more water as necessary to keep the peas covered until cooked. Remove the black-eyed peas from the heat and let them cool in their cooking liquid, preferably overnight.
Drain the beans and quickly move them to a clean pot or bowl depending if you plan to serve them warm or not. Allow some of the soaking liquid to come along but they should not be soupy. Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems and stir in about 1 cup of guajillo (or other flavorful) BBQ sauce.
Serve the beans gently reheated or at room temperature with cilantro pesto on the side.
Print This RecipeTotal timeYield2 cupSource Adapted from Travis LettPublished
The sauce can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
¼ cupolive oil
8 dried guajillo chiles(stems and seeds removed)
6 clovegarlic(peeled and thinly sliced)
1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes(plus more as needed)
3 cupwater
¼ cuphoney
½ cupred wine vinegar
kosher salt(to taste)
Directions
In a medium saucepan combine the olive oil, dried chiles, garlic, and diced tomato. Cook over medium-high heat until bubbling vigorously and starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and simmer vigorously for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue to cook until the chiles have softened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and let cool.
In a food processor or blender, process the chile mixture to a coarse paste. Add the honey and vinegar and pulse to combine, then run the machine until the sauce is very smooth. Taste and season with salt. The mixture should pour easily but still cling to the spoon. It should not be as ridiculously thick as many store-bought BBQ sauces. Adjust consistency with more water if needed.
The pesto can be made 3 or 4 hours in advance and set aside on the counter, covered with plastic wrap until ready to use.
Ingredients
1 cupchopped fresh cilantro
¼ cupchopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cupolive oil
kosher salt(to taste)
Directions
With a mortar and pestle, break down the cilantro and parsley into a paste, and slowly drizzle in the olive oil to loosen slightly, you might not use all the oil. Season with salt.
Just finished eating this…tons of dishes, but worth it! Used fresh black eyed peas from the farmers market, 1–1/2 lbs before shelling and halved everything else. The pesto really pulled it all together with collard greens and cornbread. Thanks Greg.
I used to be in the same camp as you and John but I read somewhere that it aids digestion to soak them so now I do. But when I cook beans, I always make a giant batch (plain), cool and freeze them in ziplock bags so I have beans at the ready whenever I need them. This recipe looks absolutely wonderful, filled with bright flavours. I recently saw that Italians eat lentils on New Year’s Day for the same reasons. Happy New Year to you and your family, Greg. Wishing you all the best for 2021. XO
We’re in the same camp as you are when it comes to soaking beans — sometimes. Never soak black-eyed peas, though — they cook pretty quickly. Anyway, super dish. Love the BBQ sauce. Happy New Year!
I just don’t like black eyed peas. Nor do I like Anasazi beans. But, I love what you did here with the delicious bbq sauce and cilantro pesto! I’m hoping the black eyed peas do everything you hope they will and more. Happy New Year!
If I could stay awake past 9:00, I would be with you, left foot in the air… And if I had any black-eyed peas, I would be making this. Love every component. Happy New Year! Happier for sure.