Jerk cuisine, like most cuisines throughout the Caribbean is a mixture of native cooking and foreign influences such as Asian, African, European and East Indian. The process of cooking food slowly in pits was brought to the islands by the African slaves. In the 1600's the Maroons (runaway slaves) coated meat with spice mixtures and cooked it in a pit as a way of preserving it.
Jerk mixtures can be either wet pastes or marinades or dry rubs. They are spicy and delicious combinations of ingredients such as ginger, tamarind, nutmeg, thyme, green onions, allspice berries and Scotch bonnet chiles. Meat, poultry and fish are coated with the jerk seasoning and marinated for several hours and up to two days. The meat is then cooked in a pit, smoker or barbecue grill. The secret is to cook it very slowly.
Here are some jerk recipes.
JERK RUB
by Jay B. McCarthy, in Fine Cooking #3
The author suggests stuffing it under the skin of a turkey breast, or chicken, or on fish. Delicious on pork.
- 30 scallions
- 5" piece fresh ginger, peeled
- 1/4 cup garlic cloves, peeled
- 6 bay leaves
- 6 to 8 Habanero or Scotch bonnet chiles, seeded, minced
- 2 t freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 t freshly ground cinnamon (approx. 1 stick)
- 1 T freshly ground allspice
- 2 T black peppercorns, ground
- 2 T whole coriander seeds, ground
- 1 T kosher salt
- 1 C fresh thyme leaves, chopped fine
Optional:
- 1/2 C oil (if using a blender)
- 1 t apricot jam or honey
Chop the scallions, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, and chiles separately until moderately fine. (by hand). Combine these ingredients and continue chopping until fine. Place in a bowl and add ground spices. Stir in the chopped thyme and mix well. The rub tastes best if allowed to sit for a few hours for the flavors to meld.
JERK MARINADE
by Dave DeWitt from The Habanero Cookbook.
- 4 scotch bonnets or habaneros, seeds and stems removed, diced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 6 green onions, white part only, chopped
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 TBS dark rum
- 1 TBS brown sugar
- 1 TBS minced fresh thyme
- 1 TSP freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 TSP ground cloves
- 1/2 TSP ground nutmeg
- 1/2 TSP ground allspice
- 1/4 TSP ground cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, Let sit 1 hour to blend the flavors.
BOSTON BEACH WET JERK RUB
Go To Page: 1 2
