I've never been to Jamaica but I have had Jerk (pork and chicken) at Jamaican restaurants in Boston and NYC. Both towns have sizeable Jamaican communities.
Unfortunately, what you usually find when searching the Internet for Jerk Recipes ends up being a very dark green wet rub that doesn't remind me of what I've enjoyed. I don't like the thick, viscous, wet rubs that taste only of allspice and green onion so I kept looking around until I found this recipe over at http://www.jamaicatravelandculture.com/index.html
6 sliced scotch bonnet peppers (habaneros may be used if scotch bonnet peppers are unavailable)
2 Tbsp. thyme
2 Tbsp. ground allspice
8 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Medium onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tsp. ground black pepper
1 to 2 Tsp of the following (to taste)
-ground cinnamon
-nutmeg
-ginger
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
Juice of one lime
1 cup orange juice
1 cup white vinegar
2 Tbsp. thyme
2 Tbsp. ground allspice
8 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Medium onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tsp. ground black pepper
1 to 2 Tsp of the following (to taste)
-ground cinnamon
-nutmeg
-ginger
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
Juice of one lime
1 cup orange juice
1 cup white vinegar
Chop the onions, garlic and peppers. These do not need to be chopped too fine as they will be liquidized by the blender.
Blend all of the ingredients (excluding the chicken) in a blender to make the jerk sauce.
Rub the sauce in to the meat, saving some for basting and dipping later. Leave the chicken in the fridge to marinade overnight.
Grill the meat slowly until cooked, turning regularly. Baste with some of the remaining marinade whilst cooking. For best results, cook over a charcoal barbeque.
Chop each quarter chicken portion in to 5 or 6 smaller pieces using a heavy cleaver.
I'm happy to report that the recipe found at Jamaica Travel and Culture produces what I was looking for. I did substitute habaneros for the scotch bonnets and I added 2 green onions. This sauce is a marinade rather than a wet rub and I greatly prefer it. The chicken bathed in this tasty sauce overnight before I cooked it in my Weber Kettle (with apple wood for smoke) for two and a half hours @ 275 degrees.
The marinade transforms from an olive color to a beautiful mahogany in the heat. Extra marinade was basted onto the chicken as it cooked. In the picture above I moved the chicken from indirect heat to right over the coals for some browning action. Corn is grill/steaming just off the coals. Look for an post about the corn in the near future.
We had the Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas and grill/steamed corn. I spiked mine with extra habanero hot sauce and entered an endorphin fueled land of contentment.
10 comments:
I was wondering if you've tried Walkerswood, the king daddy of all Jamaican jerk spices. I think that Walkerswood is more along the lines of a dark green wet rub that you are talking about, at least the traditional stuff they have in the jar. Jamaicans swear by it.
I have yet to try anything other than this because it's so good. I've been wanting to venture out and try some other recipes, though. I might just try this one.
gb - I have had it but I like to make my own "stuff".
I came across your blog and thought you might have some insight. :)
I found a big lot of cast iron pans on craigslist - 15 pieces for $40! Some of the pans have logos, but a lot of them do not.
One has a heat ring slightly inset, with the words made in the USA and No. 10 on the bottom. Another has no heat ring, and says 11 3/4" skillet Made in USA and it looks like it may have a small 10 on the handle. The bottom of the handle seems to be slightly triangle-ish? lol
Four of the skillets have heat rings with breaks at 12, 3 and 9. One has a small number 2 in a circle slightly raised and then a number 8 stamped into the cast. One has a z8 369 on the bottom. One has what looks like a 5 and 369? The other is small and has a 369 visible on the bottom.
Any ideas on brands, time frames? We're just curious to see what they are, when they might have come to be.
Oh - in the lot there were also these neat pans... one is the corn bread pan shaped like corn. The other has 11 sections and looks like the size of a hot dog, lol. From what I've seen online it's for cornbread as well, but thought it was kind of cool looking.
Anyway, any info would be great and I'm going to go back to checking out the blog. Thanks!
On more ?
In the lot, there was also a large pan with an Avid Outdoor logo on the bottom. I cannot find anything online regarding the brand/logo and it looks newer. Crap made in China? Newer US made? I guess that is my main concern.
Thanks,
Nicole
After doing some searching on the Internet, I'm inclined to agree with you Greg. I use the spice paste for beer can chicken that I make in the oven according to a great Walkerswood recipe that I have. But for grilling, I think you're right, the marinade would work great.
I'm going to try using a marinade and then cook the chicken low and slow on the BBQ.
Thanks for the great blog.
Nicole - My guesses are in order of the skillets you listed.
#10, inset heat ring - Lodge?
11 3/4" - Wagner Ware (newer)
4 with breaks in the heat ring - Lodge
It is tough to date Lodge items.
Avid? No idea on this one
gb - The Jamaica T&C recipe is a marinade but it still is thick enough create a layer of seasoning on the food as you baste it.
Wow! Looks great. I like jerked pork. My brother has a good bbq-jerk sauce he makes. I gonna get some and do this. Thanks for the tip and pix.
Dan
I wish my habs would get ripe.
Just found your blog while doing research for a diary I'm writing on cast iron cooking at Daily Kos, a political blog.
One of the things I'm interested in was where does the iron ore for Lodge pans come from? They seem to have a corner on the market - at least as far as I have seen, since I've been purchasing only new pans and Lodge is hefty and reasonable - right for me, and for many others who are working on a tight budget.
And I understand why one would become disinterested in blogging - sometimes, you need a little "juice" to bring yourself back into your writing.
Enjoy your blog. Looking forward to more posts, and I will be directing folks from Kos over here!
Auntie Fi - I think Lodge buys raw pig iron from Brazil and mixes this with industrial steel scraps leftover from nearby factories. I'd verify this with them but at one time it was true.
Lodge is the lone cast iron foundry still producing iron cookware in the US.
Send a link when you publish your article and thanks for reading the blog.
Post a Comment