Black eyed peas with andouille sausage

Out of the dishes from the last two posts, the pinto beans definitely turned out the best. So, I decided to make some more beans, this time black eyed peas because a friend mentioned that his mom makes them much the same way I made the pinto beans. To make them a bit more interesting, I added ham hock, which not only provides some meat but also smokey, gelatinous goodness to flavor the broth, and andouille sausage - smoked, spicy, and delicious despite its association with Emeril. Lastly, some bay leaf and serrano for aroma and heat, respectively.

See what I did there? I took a cookbook recipe and used it as inspiration for something (slightly) different. Do I get a gold star? Once you have enough recipes under your belt, it becomes easier to think of new ideas using those familiar flavors and ingredients. Recipes should guide rather than constrain what you make. One last note. This is probably a poor weekday dinner choice unless you have enough time to eat 2-3 hours after you start cooking. If that's the case, what a life of luxury you live. Or as my mom would say, "Wow, it must nice being a prince."

Ingredients (serves 6-8)
1 smoked ham hock
1 lb. andouille sausage, cut into ~1/2 in. slices
1 medium piece fatback, ~3 oz. (optional, delectable overkill)
1 lb. black eyed peas
1 onion, diced
2 serrano chiles, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
3 bay leaves
vegetable or canola oil
salt + pepper

• Cover beans with plenty of water and soak overnight. Drain the next day. If you forget to do this, don't fret. Just cover beans by 1 in. with water, bring to a boil, and cook for 2 min. Then, take beans off the heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hr. Drain.
  
• Add 2 tbs. oil to dutch oven and heat over medium high high until just smoking. Brown sausage on both sides, ~2-3 min per side, in batches so the pan isn't too crowded. Remove and set aside.
  
• Lower heat to medium and cook onion, garlic, and chiles for a few minutes. Stir vigorously to help pick browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add some water to help deglaze the pan.
  
• Add sausage, ham hock, fatback, bay leaves, and beans. Cover with water. Once beans reach a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook over low heat, covered, ~1.5-2 hrs or until beans are tender. You can also cook the beans uncovered for the final hr to thicken the broth.
  
• Gently stir beans every 20-30 min.
  
• Remove ham hock, take meat off the bone and return to the pan. Remove fatback and bay leaves. Season liberally with salt with pepper.