Since some of you may not be able to do the whole pork and beans/peas good luck thing for New Year's Day, I thought I would post the video for Weezer's Pork and Beans. In addition to being my new favorite song, the video spoofs-mocks-celebrates our favorite Youtube characters.
To ensure a new year full of happiness and prosperity, simply watch this video once, and then listen to it a second time with your eyes closed. As it plays I want you to visualize all the things you want to have happen for you in 2009. Good luck, and enjoy!
By the way, is it just me, or is that kid enjoying those beans a little too much?
I know I just posted an Italian alternative to the New Years' beans and greens, eaten to bring prosperity in 2009, but I figured I'd better do a more traditional version. I am the American food expert on About.com after all, and it would have been bad form not to post a real black-eyed peas recipe today.
This is a very old tradition, and I don't mean like pre-civil war American south old, I mean really, really old. There are records of black-eyed peas being eaten for good luck on New Year's Day all the way back to ancient Babylonia. For you kids out there, that's way before even cell phones were invented! This video recipe you are about to visually consume is a variation on something called "Hoppin' John," which is black-eyed peas, rice, and pork stewed together, usually served with some kind of greens and cornbread. For your convenience, and my pageviews, I suggest also clicking on my cornbread recipe video and doing this thing right.
I want to wish you all a Happy New Year! May your 2009 be filled with happiness, new experiences, and exciting challenges. 2008 was a very hard year for everyone, but I have it on a pretty reliable source (a Chef's intuition is a powerful thing) that this coming year will be a lot better. Until then, I'll leave you with this thought - the tougher times are, the better food tastes. Enjoy!
Ingredients: 1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight 3 strips bacon, sliced in 1/2-inch pieces 1 pound pork neck bones 6 oz smoked ham, diced 1 cup diced onion 1 cup diced celery 1 cup diced carrot 3 cloves chopped garlic 6 cups water 1 (10-oz can) diced tomato with green chilis 1 tsp salt 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp black pepper cayenne to taste 1 tsp dried thyme 1 large bunch kale, leaves torn cooked rice
In honor of the presidential inauguration, the title of this recipe, "Pork and Beans and Greens - Good Luck Making This," has temporally changed to this more Washington-esqe one.
As many of you foodies already know (it's on the entrance exam), a very traditional southern New Years meal is black-eyed peas, or some other type of bean, and greens. Eating this meager meal on New Years day is supposed to bring you great prosperity for the rest of the year.
This video recipe is a lighter and easier Italian take on the classic, and is topped with some crusty, caramelized roast pork. Speaking of the south, you'll see me use a spice rub (a wet rub, aka "wub") on the pork before roasting for a sort of Italian barbecue effect.
All in all, this is an odd recipe. The pork is not slow-roasted, but cooked at a higher heat for a crusty finish. The greens are not slowly braised, but just wilted. The black-eyed peas have been replaced with cannellini beans. And, I can't guarantee it will bring you the same prosperity as the traditional version. Having said all that, I thought it tasted excellent and I hope you give it a try.
By the way, I will also be doing a traditional version that - with any luck - you'll see before New Years Day. Enjoy!
Ingredients: 4 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast, cut in large pieces for the wet rub: 1/2 tsp dried rosemary 1 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp fennel seeds 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes 1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp dried oregano 2 cloves garlic 1 rounded tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp wine vinegar 1 tbsp olive oil
1 large bunch arugula 1 14-oz jar cannellini beans 1 lemon 1 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves sliced garlic
* Please help support free video recipes, and visit my new sponsor, MOZO Shoes. Find out why chefs (like me) are buzzing about their great shoes!
If you act very quickly (sometime today would be great), you can own your very own copy of our first DVD for the unbelievably low price of $25!
That's right, you can now purchase this future collectors item (for real, not like those Obama dinner plates) for the same price as before Christmas. How can we afford to not raise the price? We've cut out the middleman and passed the savings on to you!
Click on the banner - we have operators standing by!
Since some of you may not be able to do the whole pork and beans/peas good luck thing for New Year's Day, I thought I would post the video for Weezer's Pork and Beans. In addition to being my new favorite song, the video spoofs-mocks-celebrates our favorite Youtube characters.
