Everything about Jamaican Jerk Spice totally explained
Jerk is a style of
cooking native to
Jamaica in which
meats (traditionally
pork and
goat, but now including
chicken,
fish,
beef,
sausage and even
tofu) are
dry-rubbed with a fiery
spice mixture called
Jamaican jerk spice. Jerk seasoning principally relies upon two items:
allspice (Jamaican
pimento) and
Scotch bonnet peppers (among the hottest peppers on the
Scoville scale). Other ingredients include
cloves,
cinnamon,
scallions,
nutmeg,
thyme,
garlic, which are mixed together to form a
marinade which is rubbed onto pork, chicken, or fish.
Jerk chicken, pork, or fish is said to be at its best when
barbecued over aromatic wood
charcoal or
briquettes. Pimento (
allspice)
wood or
berries placed over
coals give jerk its authentic flavor.
The
Spanish word
charqui (
dried meat) gave the name to both jerk and
jerky. Jamaican "jerk" ties well into its first people; American Indian (Tainos)roots, since of all the modern
barbecueing processes, in its purest form it corresponds the closest to historical descriptions of the
Tainos' method. The Tainos would construct a grid of green sticks some distance above a smoldering fire of
green pimento wood (that is, the wood of the allspice tree) in a shallow pit, place meat on the grid and cover it with pimento leaves to impart further flavour while trapping the
smoke for maximum effect.
Originally the jerk meat was cut into strips and dried in the
sun for use at a later date. A small fire was lit under the meat so that the smoke would prevent
flies from laying their
eggs on the raw meat.
Native Americans also use this method and also call it jerk meat, as was shown in an episode of
Ray Mears the survivalist's programme on the
BBC. (See also
jerky.)
A grill over an open fire suffices in the modern rendition. The widely available pre-made seasoning mixes give a passable jerk flavour to meat
baked in a
kitchen oven.
Modern day "Jerkers"
Jerking has evolved over time from
pit fires to old
oil barrel halves as the container of choice. In about the 1960s, Jamaican entrepreneurs sought to recreate the smoked pit flavour, and relatively quickly came up with a solution. The solution was to cut oil
barrels lengthwise and attach hinges, drilling several ventilation holes for the smoke. These barrels are often heated by layers of
charcoal, which some say lends itself to making the burnt smokey taste.
Street-side "jerk stands" are most frequently found in
Jamaica and the nearby
Cayman Islands. Jerked meat, usually chicken or pork, can be purchased along with
hard dough bread or Jamaican fried
dumpling (called festival) served as a side. The
starch in the bread lend themselves to counteracting the powerful pepper of the jerk. Recipes for Jamaican jerk spice vary, and it's often debated around jerk stands about which chef's
secret recipe of
spices and
herbs makes the best jerk seasoning.
Jerk cooking has followed the
Jamaican diaspora all over the
world, and authentic jerk can now be found at
restaurants anywhere a significant population of Jamaicans exists, such as the
United Kingdom,
Canada, or the
United States.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Jamaican Jerk Spice'.
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