Black-Eyed Peas & Pork

Ingredients:

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 2 cups onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 4 (15.5-oz) cans black-eyed peas
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1.5 lbs smoked pork butt
• Biscuits or bread, for serving

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 365°F.


In a 6- to 8-qt heavy Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and reserve, leaving the rendered fat behind.


• Add the onion to the Dutch oven and cook until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chili powder, tomato paste, ketchup, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, scraping up anything that starts to form on the bottom of the pan. Mix in the barbecue sauce, reserved bacon, and black-eyed peas, followed by the chicken stock.



• On a cutting board, remove the covering from the pork butt and cut away the outer skin with a small knife. Cut the pork lengthwise into 4 pieces. Place these in with the beans, tucking them down so they are covered. Place on the lid, put the Dutch oven in the oven, and bake for 90 minutes. Remove from the oven.



• Transfer the pieces of pork to a mixing bowl and shred them coarsely with 2 forks. Stir the pork back into the beans. If the baked beans are too tight, adjust with a little bit of water to the desired consistency. Taste the dish for proper seasoning and adjust as necessary. Serve with biscuits or buttered bread.