Peel the onion, leaving it whole. Rinse the dried peas, discarding the withered ones. In a large, heavy saucepan, lightly fry the salt pork, then add the ham hocks, dried peas, onion and red pepper. Pour in just enough water to cover, put a lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat has fallen from the bones.

Remove the salt pork and ham hocks from the peas. There should still be about two cups of liquid in the pot for the rice to absorb. Stir in the rice and cover. Remove the meat from the ham hocks and chop it into small pieces. Place the meat back into the pot, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, until the peas and rice are tender. Serve immediately. Serves 6-8.