Southern-Style Black-Eyed Peas

Acquire all necessary ingredients and materials.

Rinse, sort through, and collect peas in a large container. Submerge them in several inches of chilled water; allow to soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the peas thoroughly.

Fill a large, deep saucepan with water and add bouillon cubes. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally to ensure the bouillon dissolves completely. Introduce the peas into the saucepan and adjust the heat to a gentle simmer.

Cook diced bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a uniform brown color, approximately 10 minutes. Remove the cooked bacon from the skillet and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat.

Melt butter in the same skillet with the bacon grease; cook and stir sliced onions until they begin to develop a rich, caramelized flavor at the edges, about 10 minutes.

Combine the cooked onions and their cooking fat with the peas; add crumbled bacon, diced ham, salt, and pepper to taste. Allow the mixture to simmer over low heat for 8 hours, stirring every hour to maintain even cooking.