"This beautiful book is informative, authentic and full of recipes we’re anxious to try. You’ve captured the true essence of the Caribbean!"
Bob & Melinda Blanchard- Owners, Blanchard’s Restaurant in Anguilla, authors of A Trip to the Beach and At Blanchard’s Table, A Trip to the Beach cookbook. |
From Caribbean Cuisine
 Credit: Jim Raycroft
Serves 6 - 8
Jerk is the Caribbean’s most popular and prolific contribution to global cuisine. Jerk meat makes great sandwiches and is commonly served with hard dough bread, roasted corn, breadfruit, plantains, yams, peas and rice or a side of fresh fruit salsa.
Ingredients:
1 (4- to 5-pound) pork tenderloin
(or choice cut of pork), trimmed of fat
or 2 whole chickens, quartered
lime
1-2 cups Jerk Marinade
or Jerk Rub [page 230, 231]
oil
wood chips for grilling
Molasses BBQ sauce and/or
Ginger BBQ sauce are optional [page 234, 235]
- Rinse meat and pat dry. Cut lime in half and rub it all over the meat. If
using a large piece of meat, pierce the meat with a paring knife in several
spots. Stick a finger in the tiny slits and make small pockets for filling with
Jerk Rub.
- In a large non-reactive bowl, place the meat and pour on the Jerk Marinade.
Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for a few
hours or preferably overnight, turning frequently.
- Soak wood chips for several hours covered in water. Choose among the
traditional pimento (allspice), guava, or hickory chips.
- The traditional method is to build a fi re with dry wood, piling it to one side
as it burns down. Continue to add wood as the fi re burns down for longer
cooking. Routinely add soaked wood chips to create smoke. You can also
grill over charcoal, adding more wood chips.
- Remove the meat from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Pat the meat
dry leaving enough rub mixture to coat (alternatively season with Jamaican
Dry Jerk - page 230).
- Rub the grill grates with oil, and place meat on the grill. Slow cook the meat
on the grill until cooked through (155º F for pork and 180º F for chicken).
- In a saucepan, bring the reserved marinade to a boil. Combine 1-2 teaspoons
of cornstarch with the same amount of water and stir together. Stir
this "slurry" mixture into the marinade, reduce heat to low, and simmer
until it thickens slightly.
- Chop or slice the meat on a cutting board and serve moistened with the
reserved marinade, Molasses BBQ sauce and/or Ginger BBQ sauce [page
234, 235].
NOTE: You can cook the meat faster by placing it closer to the direct heat. However,
slow cooking allows the flavor to more thoroughly permeate the meat.
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