yields twelve servings
4 oz. (1/2 cup) slab bacon, finely diced
1 slab of pork spare ribs, cut into individual pieces
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 red onion, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 tablespoon Kosher salt, or more to taste
1 lb. split peas (1 1/3 cups)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 smoked ham hock
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
crusty bread for serving
Sauté bacon in a
6-quart Dutch oven over med-low heat until the fat has rendered and
it's cooked, 5-10 mins. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted
spoon, increase the heat under the pot to medium, and add the ribs. Brown on both sides, 3 minutes per side. Remove the ribs to a plate
and set aside.
Add the carrot,
onion, celery, and salt and sweat the vegetables for about 3 minutes. Add the split peas, garlic, bay leaf, thyme (sprigs tied together to be
removed later), ham hock, cayenne pepper, black pepper, the ribs, and 2
1/2 quarts water. Simmer, skimming the foam that will rise to the
surface as the water comes up to heat, until the peas and spare ribs
are tender, 2-3 hours. Discard the bay
leaf and thyme sprigs. Remove the hock from the soup. When it's cool
enough to handle, pick the meat off it and add it back to the soup
(discard the bone). To serve, divide the ribs among bowls and ladle the soup over them. Eat with abundant, crusty bread.
bacon recipe courtesy of: Michael Symons, The Chew, ABC-TV
