Grilled Octopus with Braised Black-Eyed Peas

Octopus simmered just until tender and then charred on a very hot grill is, in my opinion, the best way to handle this creature. I love the charred skin with the tender, but still firm, meat, which becomes almost steaklike. The marinade, which we end up brushing on as the octopus cooks, is a purée of dried chiles and tomato sweetened with honey and spiked with vinegar. To round out the Latin American theme, we serve this with an herb called huacatay, which tastes like a marriage of m