Jerk Chicken – How Much Heat Can You Stand

Around America for ON SCENE NEWS, Chef Corey,

Recently some readers have asked me for a recommendation for a jerk chicken recipe. Since I participate in an annual jerk cooking event I had recently read over some history of jerk chicken in preparation for developing my marinade recipe. I have found for the best jerk seasoning I use a fresh wet rub to marinate the chicken and then use as a basting sauce during the cooking process.

Jerk History

Jerk marinade is a combination of African cooking techniques with Arawak spices and flavorings. Initially the Arawak people would smoke the meat over allspice branches in big pits after the meat had been marinated. The marinade was thought as a method to preserve the meat. Smoking it also allowed the meat to be preserved as well, but with an added benefit of keeping the bugs away. The word jerk has evolved over time from the Spanish term “Charqui” which means dried meat. Another explanation for the Jerk name could come from the technique of “jerking” or poking holes in the meat to allow the flavor to sink in.

Traditionally jerk seasoning has to contain 3 key ingredients.

1. Scotch bonnet peppers are some of the hottest on the Scoville scale registering an astounding 100,000 – 350,000 Scoville Units. Unfortunately these peppers are pretty hard to come by in the states so a close relative to substitute would be habanero. Any fresh spicy pepper will do depending on how well you tolerate heat.
2. Pimento berry or allspice is a staple in jerk chicken. Allspice is native to Jamaica and has a flavor of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Allspice will look like brown peppercorns of varying sizes. Ground allspice should not be substituted after spices are ground they start to lose flavor. Prior to grinding lightly toast the berries of medium heat in a dry pan just until aromatic. To grind use either a clean coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle
3. Thyme is used extensively for Caribbean cooking and adds a complexity to the meat.

Preperation

The marinade can be put on anything from chicken to tofu although chicken and pork are thought to be 2 of the most common. I use chicken thighs for my jerk. Chicken thighs have more fat content and are extremely juicy so they tend to be more forgiving if they get over cooked.

Coat the chicken and let it marinate overnight. Grill on open charcoal for the best flavor.
There is no oil in this recipe so I would get out your can vegetable oil cooking spray. DO NOT SPRAY THE GRILL! Spray the chicken itself and then place them on the grill. This method is a great alternative for grilling any type of meat.

Recipe

• 1 lb chicken Thighs de-boned
• ½ red onion
• 48 allspice berries
• 1 tbls nutmeg
• 4 oz scallions
• 4 clove garlic
• 4-5 habanero peppers
• 2 Tbs sugar
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2-3 Tbls red wine vinegar
• 2-3 Tbls soy sauce
• Salt to taste

1. Chop, scallions red onion and place in the food processor or blender.

2. Your habanero needs to be deseeded to remove some of the heat. I recommend wearing gloves when handling these types of peppers. The oils will transfer to our hands and it can result in some unpleasant experiences. Place the peppers in the blender.

3. Toast the allspice and grind in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. When it’s a powder add it to the blender.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients garlic, lime juice, nutmeg, using a microplane grater, and sugar Hold back these ingredients: red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and salt:

5. Blend. If you need more liquid add a little of the red wine vinegar and soy sauce. It shouldn’t take a lot. Water can also be substituted.

6. Adjust your salt content. Beware it will be spicy.

Let me know what you jerk and how it turns out. A great drink to go along with the island theme is a mojito. I will be posting a recipe soon on how to make a perfect mojito.