Eat like Paupers, then live like Kings

As everyone may already know, I am originally from South Carolina. Yes, a Southern belle living in the land of Yankees. Ironically, I actually live near Yankee Stadium. In the South, we have lots of chances during the holidays to feast and gorge ourselves, but New Year‘s Day dinner is a different matter altogether. On most holidays, we Southerners eat like kings, but on New Year’s Day we eat like paupers. We believe if we eat poor on the first day of the year that we will eat rich for the rest of the year.  

See the traditional Southern New Year’s Day dinner was designed to bring you good luck in the New Year. This New Year’s Day dinner generally features pork, seasoned collard greens, black-eyed peas, and rice. So what is the significance behind the food we Southerners eat on this special day? 

Serving black-eyed peas and collard greens began when Union soldiers raided Southern homes of all the most edible foods they could find. They took what they wanted from homes and farms, 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. Strangely enough, these foods are now considered by Southerners to be “good eatin’”. 

We usually eat black-eyed peas flavored with pork and collard greens for dinner on New Year’s Day for good luck and in remembrance of times of hardship. The black-eyed peas represent coins and the collard greens represent dollar bills. Pork is a meat with a rich fat content, thus it symbolizes wealth and prosperity. 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 we Southerners have and will continue to follow for dinner every New Year’s Day. 

Oven Roasted Pork Shoulder

• 1 (4 to 5 lbs) bone-in pork shoulder
• 1/4 cup  Shea's Sweet & Smoky Rub
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 
  
  1.    Preheat oven to 350°.
  2.    Trim 1 (4- to 5-lb.) bone-in pork shoulder. Rinse and pat dry.
  3.   Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Smoky-Sweet BBQ Rub. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
  4.   Place pork in an aluminum foil-lined 13- x 9-inch pan. Bake 4 to 4 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 195°.
  5.   Let stand 15 minutes.
  6.   Shred pork with 2 forks.
  
  
  
  
  
  Collard Greens
  
  
  
        1 1/2 pound smoked pork neckbones
        1 tablespoon Tabasco Spicy Worcestershire Sauce  
        1 tablespoon Kosher salt
        1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning
        3 bunches fresh collard greens (about 2 lbs)
    
  1. Place first 3 ingredients and 1 qt. water in a large pot. Bring to a boil; simmer, uncovered, 1 hour.
  2. Trim and discard thick stems from bottom of collard green leaves. Collect and roll leaves into a big cigar. Cut leaves into 2-inch pieces. Place leaves in a large bowl of water with a little salt. Swish leaves around to remove any dirt. Remove leaves from bowl, and discard water. Repeat several times if needed.
  3. Add leaves to pot; stir. (The pot will be full, but the leaves will cook down.) Cover and simmer, stirring every 30 minutes, for 1 1/2 hours.
  
  
  Spicy Hoppin' John
  
  
  4 slices bacon, chopped
  
  
  1 cup scallions, finely chooped
  
  
  1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped (about ½ cup) 
  
  
  2 garlic cloves, minced
  
  
  1 can (15.5 oz.) black eye peas
  
  
  1/4 lbs Spicy Italian Sausage, cooked and cut into strips
  
  
  1 packet Sazón without Annatto
  
  
  2 cups cooked brown rice
  
  
  Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning with Pepper, to taste

  1.	. In medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, add bacon. Cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, about 7 minutes. Drain off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Add onions, peppers and garlic to pan; cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
  2.	.Add blackeye peas (and their liquid), sausage and sazón to saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and heated through, about 10 minutes more. Stir in cooked rice, simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes more. Season with adobo. Happy New Year!!!