Combine all ingredients into a thick, chunky paste. The mixture will keep in tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for several months, Most Jamaicans grind their spices by hand in a mortar and pestle. The whole spices tend to retain more aromatic oils in them and therfore more of a natural pungency. To save time, you can pulverize the spices in a spice grinder or coffee mill, and then add them to the other ingredients.

Jerking is a two step process. First you must marinate the meat for at least four hours, preferably overnight. Then you slow cook the marinated meat over hardwood coals.

To make jerk at home, marinate the pork or chicken in the refrigerator overnight. Use a lot of jerk in proportion to the amount of meat. You can use a water smoker or a covered grill with a drip pan. It is best to have a drip pan directly under the meat to prevent scorching. For the fire,charcoal briquettes work, but suggest the addition of hardwood chips (pecan, apple, peach wood, maple, walnut, almond, hickory or mesquite) for favor. Start the fire, when the coals are ashen, add the wood chips. The wood chips should be soaked for at least 1 hour for intense smoky favor.

The meat should be turned every 15 to 20 minutes to insure even cooking and to prevent burning. Pork takes 2 to 4 hours, chicken 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the heat of the fire.

From: Traveling Jamaica with Knife, Fork and Spoon. A Righteous Guide to Jamaican Cookery. By Bob Walsh and Jay McCarthy. 1995. The Crossing Press, Freedom, CA. 95019
Posted By: Richard T. Proost, rproost@facstaff.wisc.edu
Post Date: 3/23/99