Southern · main
Hoppin' John with Smoked Ham Hock
Hoppin' John with Smoked Ham Hock reads umami 7.8, richness 7.4 and salinity 5.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Southern main, about 2 hr 52 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 8.4 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 2.6 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 1.5 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 4.0 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 7.6 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Umami 7.8 · Richness 7.4 · Salinity 5.6 · Allium 4.1 · Smoke 3.5 · Heat 3.1 · Sweetness 2.4 · Warm Spice 2.0 · Herbaceous 1.9 · Earthy 1.9 · Sourness 1.4 · Bitterness 1.1 · Nutty 1.0 · Floral 0.8 · Citrus 0.6 · Funk & Ferment 0.6
What's in it (16)
- black-eyed peas — 454 g
- pork hocks — 567 g
- bacon — 112 g
- yellow onion — 110 g
- celery — 80 g
- green bell pepper — 100 g
- garlic — 12 g
- low-salt chicken broth — 1420 g
- bay — 2 g
- thyme — 1 g
- cayenne pepper — 3 g
- long-grain white rice — 266 g
- salt — 7 g
- black pepper — 3 g
- scallions — 300 g
- hot sauce — 3 g
Time & effort: about 2 hr 52 min (1 hr 47 min active) · effort: involved
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 120.2 kcal, 8 g protein, 3 g fat, 15.7 g carbs
Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (9 steps)
- Quick-soak the peas: place them in a large pot, cover with cold water by 2 inches, bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes; remove from the heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour (or skip this and soak overnight in the refrigerator if you prefer to plan ahead). Drain and rinse well.
- In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and the fat has rendered, 6-8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind in the pot.
- Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to turn golden at the edges, 6-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Return the bacon to the pot along with the ham hock, the drained black-eyed peas, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the peas are tender but still hold their shape and the meat pulls easily from the ham hock bone, 60-75 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Lift the ham hock onto a cutting board; when cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bone, discard the bone, skin, and excess fat, and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Fish out and discard the bay leaves.
- Ladle 2 3/4 cups of the hot pea cooking liquid into a medium saucepan and reserve; mash about 1 cup of the peas against the side of the pot with a spoon to lightly thicken the liquid left behind.
- Bring the reserved liquid to a boil, stir in the rice and 1 teaspoon of the salt, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook undisturbed until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 16-18 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Stir the shredded ham hock meat back into the pea pot, then fold in the cooked rice until just combined. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the black pepper, adding more salt to taste.
- Spoon the Hoppin' John into bowls, scatter with the scallions, and serve with hot sauce at the table.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Carolina Chicken Perloo — Southern · Lowcountry
- Chicken Fricassee with Andouille — Cajun/Creole
- Quick Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage — Cajun/Creole
- Feijoada Fritters With Collard Greens — Brazilian
- Sea Island Red Peas and Rice — Southern · Lowcountry
Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →
Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.