To be…Hot Jamaican Jerk Chicken or Not to Be… Mild Jamaican Jerk Chicken

The history of Jamaican Jerk Chicken has been told so many times by so many people that to try to include this history in this article would be re-hashing the same thing over and over again.

I sincerely believe that the people who write about these things are truly doing a great service to the world of jerk in the best way that they know possible.

If your interest in Jamaican Jerk Chicken is its history, I will get this information for you, some other time.

And I will give you the different versions I have heard about how Jerk Chicken came into being.

Over the years I’ve heard many things said about Jerk… but I like the Jerk Chicken taste, not the stories.

Sometimes knowing the history about anything will help you look good in a General Knowledge competition…No Problem!

But this is not about history so much. It’s about good food and "nuff nyammins." Seen?

Okay, this type of "barbecue" has been around for a very long time, as you might suspect.

But as time goes by and the world gets more advanced, our creative sense shows us that there are easier ways to do certain things today, as opposed to yesterday.

We not only find things easier, but also more economical; less stressful, less time- consuming. The old ways of making Jamaican Jerk Chicken/Pork is becoming a thing of the past.

The pimento (allspice) sticks, that the cooks used to place under the meat on the earth pit, are not necessary when you make Jamaican Jerk Chicken/Pork nowadays.

And so many other practices like covering the meat with a zinc sheet to keep the smoke and heat at the right blend, have been omitted by some chefs for the most part…"Hey, where are the zinc sheets?"

I will admit though, that that way of Jerk with the pimento sticks and the pig’s blood mixed into the season, was tasty, YAH MON!!!!!! (2 times)… Especially the pork sausage when it was eaten with “roast breadfruit.” (laugh out loud)

So in the name of progress and advancement, we will show you how to use different kinds of heat sources to make your Jerk tastes good. You’ll see what I’m talking about later on.

We should acknowledge and give thanks to the pioneers, whoever they may have been, who’s contributions in making this type of cooking popular …a priceless art. And to mention any names associated with jerking may insult some of the same people I am trying to honor.

Enough talk, Seet Yah: (So without any more of my mustering, here goes) :)

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Ingredients: (REV July 22, 2004)

1- 3 lb Chicken

1 Lime

24 Pimento Beans (Allspice)

2oz Scallion

2 Scotch Bonnet Pepper

5sprigs. Thyme

1/2 whole Nutmeg (Grated)

Salt (Pinch)

2 peg Garlic

1 oz. Paprika (for Color)

1 oz. Oil (optional)

1/2 oz Soy Sauce

1 tbsp. Sugar

Note: If you would like to remove the spicy heat from this season, don’t use the Scotch Bonnet Pepper.

Method :

Put all ingredients in the Electric Blender,except the lime, and turn the selector to puree. Make sure the ingredients are blended well together before removing from Blender.

Cut up chicken 8-ways (Wing, Drumstick, Thigh, and Breast). Wash chicken parts in lime juice and water. Remove meat from lime and water solution and discard.

Next, you pour a little of the jerk season that you just made on the chicken. Rub in the season with your hand (use plastic gloves if you have them). Repeat doing this until all the meat is covered with the season.

(Optional) You can let this sit in the refrigerator overnight or let it sit for a couple of hours. It’s your choice.

Or do as I do.

OVEN

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the seasoned Jerk chicken skin side up on a baking sheet and then place it in the oven.

Bake the chicken for about 35 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven, and turn the chicken onto the other side. Bake chicken for about 25 minutes more, or until thoroughly cooked.

GAS OR CHARCOAL GRILL

Place your seasoned Jerk chicken on the Grill and monitor the flame so that the temperature stays at or about 350 degrees F. Turn the meat as needed, while keeping the flame low. And if the flame gets too high it will prematurely burn the meat.

This process takes a little time and patience, but it’s worth the effort. The meat will be completely cooked in about 45-minutes.

If not, keep turning until the meat is thoroughly cooked, remove chicken from the Grill and serve with bread, garden salad, baked potatoes, or plain white rice.

OPEN PIT

(This method is definitely for the folks who have a lot of spare time.)

Another thing, do not cut up the chicken. Instead, slice the chicken breast and open the whole chicken wide.

In your back yard or campsite, dig a pit 4 feet long by 21/2 feet wide by 2 feet deep. Taper the long ends of the pit about 45 degrees.

Place the wood in the pit and add your starter fluid or accelerant of choice.

Light the wood and allow the wood to burn to coal. Scatter the coal so that the heat will distribute evenly in the pit.

Place 1/8” steel rods across the pit in a 2” square matrix pattern. Or use the same diamond mesh that’s used in barbecue grills.

Place your seasoned Jerk chicken on the steel matrix; let the chicken cook slowly for about an hour.

Turn chicken on other side, baste if necessary, monitor until chicken is cooked.

(Optional) You can add hickory wood or your other favorite flavored wood to the pit, when making this type of Jerk Chicken. Serve with your favorite food

YAH MON!!!

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