Food Prep - Split Pea Soup - Part 1

Food Prep - Split Pea Soup - Part 1 | Ecency

The way I learned to make pea soup, it takes 3 days...but is soo worth the wait!

I like to make enough to can, because it takes so long...

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Day 1

Slow roast the pork shoulder (the butt can be used too, but the shoulder is best) I prefer a smoked shoulder, though this time around it is not. I start this in the evening once the temps drop, so the oven keeps our little home warm all night.

I put the shoulder in a baking pan...add water about 1/3 up the side of the pan. Salt, pepper and garlic powder generously, and cover with foil.

Bake for 2 hours on 325* F...then turn the heat down to the lowest setting and let slow cook overnight. For this in our mini RV oven I just leave the pilot light on, which keeps the racks just hot enough to need a pot holder.

Pea Soup 1a.jpg

Day 2

Take the pork out onto a board, and pour all the liquids into a pot or slow cooker.

The meat should look like this, pulling away from the bone...and should separate without effort. It should literally almost fall off the bone.

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Remove the bone and fat layer...and add them to the pot...then fill 2/3 with water and set the pot on low heat. Just to a very low simmer if using the stove top.

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Next gently pull the natural sections of meat apart.

This will expose any veins and fat...which I am able to pull off the meat with little effort. If there is a tough spot I just cut it off...I don't try to get all the soft fat, it will cook down into the soup later.

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Then I chop most up for the soup, and leave some aside for dinner/supper (evening meal here in the US)

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Now I bag up the meat and put it in the fridge until later...and on to...

The Peas

First thing to know about split peas, is they are shy. They don't like to be watched, so need to be in stoneware. No stainless or other metal bowls, and if you only have clear glass they will need a blanket or heavy towel to cover them.

So first we sort the peas (I am using 2lb dried split peas). Nice green ones into the bowl, all yellowed, shriveled, hulls and stones out...

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Once they are sorted, we need to rinse them...fill the bowl with water, mix the peas up good, and the water should look murky like this...

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3 rinses later they look like this, and are ready to sleep. The ratio should be 2 to 1, water to peas...because the peas will soak up the water overnight...

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Cover (I use a stoneware plate) so they are in the dark...and put them in a semi-warm place to sleep for 24 hours...

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Let the bone and broth stay on low heat until the peas are ready the next day. Add water if it gets low...and tomorrow we make soup :)

**It is important to use organic non-antibiotic pork, because we are making a bone broth. By tomorrow all of the marrow nutrients will be in the broth. Bone broth is filled with vitamins and minerals, prevents rickets and osteo conditions...helps teeth, hair and nails stay healthy, and boosts the immune system. This is the way it was done for hundreds of years..

Thank you for reading :)...I hope you enjoyed!

This is a {Steemit Original} All words and photos by Elew