Traditional Southern New Year's Day Dinner...

[special-k]

http://southernnationalist.com/blog/2010/12/31/traditional-southern-new-years-day-dinner/

...We have lots of holiday chances to gorge ourselves in the south, but New Year ?s Day dinner is a horse of a different color. On most holidays, we southerners eat like kings, but on New Year?s Day we eat like paupers.

Union and Confederate soldiers, along with American civilians, suffered in ways more than just hunger during the American Civil War. The history of southerners serving black-eyed peas and collard greens began with Union soldiers raiding southern homes of all the most edible foods they could find. The Union soldiers took what they wanted from farms and homes in the south and left only the food that they considered undesirable, such as greens and fatback. Southerners learned to cook these undesirable foods, in order to survive, in a way that is now considered by southerners as good eatin?. Movies like Ride with the Devil and Cold Mountain remind us of the terrible tragedy of the American Civil War.

On New Year?s Day, we remember our southern ancestors and how the American Civil War affected so many American lives. We usually eat black-eyed peas flavored with hog jowl and collard greens for dinner on New Year?s Day for good luck and in remembrance of times of hardship and courage. The black-eyed peas represent coins and the collard greens represent dollar bills. It is said that if you eat these foods on New Year?s Day, you will have plenty of money that coming year. Whether it really works or not, it?s a tradition that southerners follow for dinner every New Year?s Day...

Anyone else here participate in this southern tradition?

It has always been my family tradition.  My dinner consists of collard greens and black-eyed peas both cooked with hog jowls (occasionally another pork product will be substituted... smoked shoulder/butt, fat back, bacon, ham, etc...) and corn bread.  I usually dowse my peas and greens in habanero sauce after they are on my plate.

Did you know?  Black-eyed peas used to be called "cow peas" because before antebellum times they were only grown to feed livestock.

[Grudgie]

One of favorite meals of the year. I didn't know the history behind it until now though. My other always said that the turnip greens were for wealth, hog jowl for health, .. And something else for the black eyed peas.

My ideal plate will be hog jowl, salt pork, turnip greens, black eyed peas, and corn bread. Thank you for making my mouth water. Now I have to get through work thinking about salt pork.

[hjmoosejaw]

We do the pork and kraut thing here. I never thought about it, I just figured that was the way all over. Is that an option there in the South? Or is pork and kraut not something done on New Year's day?

[special-k]

We do the pork and kraut thing here. I never thought about it, I just figured that was the way all over. Is that an option there in the South? Or is pork and kraut not something done on New Year's day?

I just found out earlier today that they use cabbage out in Texas... close enough to kraut I guess.  But in the southeast it's all greens.  The further south, the most likely it is to be collards.  Otherwise, I read of turnip and mustard greens being used.  No mention of kale though (I learned to love kale since moving up north... I'd never tried it when back down home.) 

I also learned of something called "Texas caviar."  It's mashed up cold/leftover black-eyed peas, mixed with hot peppers, onions, tomatoes, and other spices... sounds good!

[hjmoosejaw]

I like kale. I've never had collards, mustard greens, or black eyed peas. I lived in S.C. for about 5 months, years ago. That was the first time I had grits. Nobody up here eats them, I imagine you can find them in the grocery stores. I just don't know anybody that eats them. Personally, I can eat them, but I'd rather have home fries with my eggs in the morning. I don't even know anybody that has tried grits. Most people I have ever even mentioned grits to, say they have never had them.

[special-k]

Ahh...grits.  I miss grits... I swore off GMO's a few years back and have yet to find non-GMO grits (locally).

My dad ate his grits with butter and/or gravy.  I preferred them "yankee style" with butter and sugar or cane syrup.  Most people I know make cheese grits, which were unheard of in my house and I only had them when I stayed with relatives or friends.

[hjmoosejaw]

The Union soldiers took what they wanted from farms and homes in the south and left only the food that they considered undesirable, such as greens and fatback. Southerners learned to cook these undesirable foods, in order to survive, in a way that is now considered by southerners as good eatin?.

That's pretty wild. That's also why a lot of "African Americans" are good at making ribs. It was handed down through the generations. When their ancestors were slaves, they would be left the rest of the meat, (the ribs) after the choice cuts were taken by their owners. They got really good at making them, then passed their secrets down the line. Hell, now everybody's big on ribs. I still try to master (no pun intended) them in my smoker, but haven't got consistent yet. Ribs can be tricky. I make some damn good jerky though, if I may say so myself. A lot of people that have tried it, say it's the best jerky they have ever had. (Not to toot my own horn)

[Grudgie]

Here's to a better year.

[thatGirl]

Huh, my folks used to feed us bratwurst and kraut for new year's eve, and black-eyed peas with ham-hocks for lunch on new year's day.  My grandmother and mom always said that the peas were for luck, but I had never thought about the origin of those traditions.  If I'm at my folks on new year's day, guaranteed my mom will shovel a spoon full of peas in my mouth whether I'm hungry or not, didn't eat any this year though.

Wishing you all good health and good cheer in 2013!

[JohnyMac]

We had pork also yesterday. We usually have kraut with the pork but my wife forgot to buy any.

The first time I had grits was in Georgetown South Carolina. It was an appetizer of shrimp & grits.

Hey hj, do you have scrapple over your way?

"Originally of Pennsylvania Dutch origin, scrapple was made from the bits and pieces of the pig not suited for anything else! This streamlined recipe takes only minutes to prepare ... perfect for making the night before. Serve topped with choice of warmed syrup."

The recipe below is pretty close to my grandmothers EXCEPT; she would go to the butcher and buy a pigs head. Simmer it till the meat came off. She would let it cool and then pick the skull of any meat. Throw the meat back into the liquid; bring it to a boil and add 'bulls milk' (condensed milk and I do not remember how much) and then stir in corn meal till it got thick enough for a wooden spoon to stand up by its self. Then pour into bread pans. 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/scrapple/

[hjmoosejaw]

I don't know about scrapple, I'll have to ask around.