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Hoppin' John with Ham Hocks

A Southern dish of black-eyed peas, rice, and ham hocks simmered together.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 8 ingredients
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Why it works: Onion and rice are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,433 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Hoppin' John with Ham Hocks

Time1¼ hours

Ingredients

Directions

Cook the ham hocks

  1. Combine ham hocks, onion, salt, crushed red pepper, and water in a large saucepan.

  2. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 1¼ hours, or until ham is tender.

  3. Remove ham hocks from saucepan.

  4. Add water to the liquid left in the saucepan to measure 3½ cups, if necessary.

Prepare the peas

  1. Wash black‑eyed peas.

  2. Combine black‑eyed peas and 6 cups water; bring to a boil and boil 2 minutes.

  3. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour.

  4. Drain black‑eyed peas; discard soaking liquid.

Finish and season

  1. Cut meat into small pieces, discarding bone and rind.

  2. Combine ham, black‑eyed peas, and rice in a large saucepan; bring mixture to a boil.

  3. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, or until black‑eyed peas and rice are tender and liquid is absorbed.

  4. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

506Calories
33 gProtein
15 gFat
58 gCarbs

Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 6 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Pork100g cooked242
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Onion + ricetop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together10,433 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  2. Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together68,474 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  3. Pepper + ricetop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together8,379 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

  4. Ham + ricetop 17% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together477 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (popcorn, roasted).

  5. Ham + oniontop 18% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together4,159 recipes

    Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Ham hocks
Release smoky, savory flavor and gelatin into the cooking liquid as they simmer.
Black-eyed peas
Hold their shape while becoming tender, giving the dish its creamy, earthy body.
Rice
Absorbs the cooking liquid and adds starch, turning the dish fluffy and filling.
Onion
Adds aromatic sweetness and depth to the simmering broth.

The step that matters

Drain the peas and discard the soaking liquid. The soaking water carries compounds that cause gas and off flavors, and the liquid must be replaced with fresh measured water so the rice cooks properly.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ham, pepper, rice):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Carrotfits better
  3. Asparagusfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against ham, pepper, rice. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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