Pour the blackeye beans (cowpeas) into salted, boiling
water and immediately set aside to cool
Boil the ham
hocks for 2 hours
Drain the beans and add them to the
ham hocks
Simmer for about 1 hour, or until the beans
are tender.
Add the rice and crushed red pepper
Be sure there is
sufficient liquid because rice requires three to four times
its bulk
If using ham hocks, when the rice is done, take
out the hocks and allow to cool slightly
Remove the
lean meat and serve with the Hopping John.
You can substitute a large can of tomatoes and 1/2
cup or more of butter or margarine for ham or bacon to
make an excellent variation of this recipe.
