Eating healthier requires incorporating lots beans into my diet, which by the way, I have no problems with. I enjoy beans and I also love salted pig tails.  Now even though the title states “stew peas” it’s really beans. For some strange reason, back home in Jamaica we refer to every bean as “peas.”

I added two different types of beans to this dish because I love ’em so much. Beans have that melt in your mouth effect. When cooked to perfection, they become so tender and add such great texture, as well as thicken the sauce or gravy that it is being simmered in.

In this authentic creation, I didn’t add any additional meat, like I normally do. I just wanted the pig tails, no oxtails or chicken feet, just pig tails. You can always substitute pig tails with smoked turkey. It adds the same great flavor. I’m a pork diva, so please excuse me. There are only a few dishes where I truly enjoy  and have the utmost respect for my pork,  and Stew Peas is one of them. I enjoy it because of its saltiness. It’s not overpowering at all. The pig tails are actually sold in a brine, sort of like cured meats. The brine has a salty flavor, but it isn’t consumed this way. Generally before preparing this dish, the pig tails are either soaked overnight or boiled several times, to remove the excess salt.  You definitely don’t want to boil it to the point where it is fresh and bland. That would defeat the entire purpose of purchasing the pig tails from that big bucket of brine.

Stew peas dish is a favorite for my boys. I serve it over Basmati rice which compliments it extremely well. It’s also great with Jasmine Rice as well. It’s a one pot wonder that does wonders, and creates havoc on the palate.Spinners is a must. Those are the spirally dumplings that add even more character and poise to this dish. To make it gluten free, I omit the spinners. It’s one of those meals that you want to enjoy uninterrupted, so that you can savor all the flavors and “hold a vibe” one on one with all the spices, as they tantalize your being and invoke a certain kind of melow”ness” that only a pot or a plate of stew peas can bring.  The next time you want to unwind with a comforting meal, I suggest you cook your self a big ‘ole pot of stew peas.

What do you add to your stew peas?