FowlersFreeTime
Senior Member
- Joined
- 9 Jun 2021
- Local time
- 3:26 AM
- Messages
- 1,098
- Location
- Florida
- Website
- www.fowlersfreetime.com
I want to post this for the Cooking Bites Poultry challenge, true, but I also want to post it as a public service. As a Jamaican living in the USA, you cannot imagine how many cringe-worthy episodes I've had when someone tries to misappropriate my homeland's cuisine and try to tell me what Jerk seasoning is.
"Oh you're Jamaican? what do you think of the jerk gravy over at Randomrestaurant on the corner of Hopeless Avenue & Clueless Street ?"
[insert facepalm meme here]
OK end of rant. Lets get cooking.
Jerk preparation entails 3 parts: prepare marinade, marinate meat, smoke.
Jerk Marinade
1 large Yellow Onion (chopped)
1 cup Scallions (chopped)
1 dozen Scotch Bonnet Peppers (this is the cornerstone of Jerk Seasoning, if you cannot get these peppers... I suppose Habaneros could work, but shhh don't ask don't tell).
2 tbs fresh Thyme leaves
1.5 Tbs Kosher Salt
2 tsp ground Allspice (aka Pimento)
2 tsp ground Black Pepper
1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground Cinnamon
3 oz Jamaican rum (I recommend a gold rum, not overproof white rum)
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend till smooth. In my video I originally said this marinade would last a month, but with the inclusion of alcohol and storing it at the back of my fridge, I am confident in saying it will last 3 months.
Video:
View: https://youtu.be/gHL67wjtlPI
Marinate your Chicken
Now that you have the marinade, slather that good stuff all over your chicken. I recommend chicken parts (or even quarters) rather than a whole chicken. I like chicken thighs. Very important: marinate your meat overnight or longer! Remember this seasoning mix was originally meant to preserve meat, so leaving it marinating in the fridge for a day or two won't do any harm!
Smoke your Chicken
Back home, authentic Jerk meats are grilled/smoked over Pimento wood (Allspice). Elsewhere in the world, I can understand this might be difficult to obtain. I find that fruit woods like Apple or Cherry wood can do the trick as they are milder than something like Mesquite or Oak. After you've selected your wood chips, you're looking to smoke at around 200-225 degrees until the internal temp is at least 165 degrees (all temps in Fahrenheit) which for my tray of thighs turned out to be 2 hours.
"Oh you're Jamaican? what do you think of the jerk gravy over at Randomrestaurant on the corner of Hopeless Avenue & Clueless Street ?"
[insert facepalm meme here]
OK end of rant. Lets get cooking.
Jerk preparation entails 3 parts: prepare marinade, marinate meat, smoke.
Jerk Marinade
1 large Yellow Onion (chopped)
1 cup Scallions (chopped)
1 dozen Scotch Bonnet Peppers (this is the cornerstone of Jerk Seasoning, if you cannot get these peppers... I suppose Habaneros could work, but shhh don't ask don't tell).
2 tbs fresh Thyme leaves
1.5 Tbs Kosher Salt
2 tsp ground Allspice (aka Pimento)
2 tsp ground Black Pepper
1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground Cinnamon
3 oz Jamaican rum (I recommend a gold rum, not overproof white rum)
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend till smooth. In my video I originally said this marinade would last a month, but with the inclusion of alcohol and storing it at the back of my fridge, I am confident in saying it will last 3 months.
Video:
Marinate your Chicken
Now that you have the marinade, slather that good stuff all over your chicken. I recommend chicken parts (or even quarters) rather than a whole chicken. I like chicken thighs. Very important: marinate your meat overnight or longer! Remember this seasoning mix was originally meant to preserve meat, so leaving it marinating in the fridge for a day or two won't do any harm!
Smoke your Chicken
Back home, authentic Jerk meats are grilled/smoked over Pimento wood (Allspice). Elsewhere in the world, I can understand this might be difficult to obtain. I find that fruit woods like Apple or Cherry wood can do the trick as they are milder than something like Mesquite or Oak. After you've selected your wood chips, you're looking to smoke at around 200-225 degrees until the internal temp is at least 165 degrees (all temps in Fahrenheit) which for my tray of thighs turned out to be 2 hours.
