How I fell in love with Jerk Chicken

Directions

1. Coarsely grind the onions, hot pepper, scallion, herbs and spices in a food processor.
2. Use a rubber spatula to scrape it all out.
3. Place the ground mix with the rest of the ingredients, except the oil and chicken, in a nonreactive saucepan and add 2 cups water.
4. Bring to a boil and let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes to slightly thicken, stirring well frequently.
5. Let cool.
6. If you are using it as a marinade, add the oil in a ratio of 4 parts JERK sauce to one part oil. If using as sauce, skip the oil.
7. For jerking the chicken, score the skin in a few places, cutting about 1/4 inch into the flesh. It is important to score where the leg and thigh meet, as that part takes the longest time to cook through.
8. Use your fingers and Rub the jerk "mud" from the bottom of the mix well into slits cut into the chicken. Mix a little jerk with the oil and use coat the bird. Store it in the fridge in an airtight package. I like to do it in a large ziplock bag because the aroma of the jerk will linger forever in something like tupperware, but use what you have, any airtight container will do.
9. Marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.
10. Cooking Jerk.
11. It is important to cook jerk slow and low, but to always start with a good sear. You can use a grill, grill pan, broiler or even a 500 degree oven to do this. Here are my methods.

12. Grill or Broiler Method

13. If the chicken has been refrigerated, let it return to room temperature before grilling.
14. Preheat a grill or broiler to high. If using charcoal, start cooking when he coils are at their maximum heat.

15. Sear the chicken bone side down over the hottest part of the grill orbone side up under the broiler until it becomes caramelized and lightly charred. Flip to skin side up and cook close to the heat source, caramelizing it carefully.

16. Remove from the grill or broiler. Bundle the meat or fish loosely in foil, ladling a couple of tablespoons of jerk sauce onto each piece of chicken before closing the foil up tightly. Finish by cooking slowly on a cooler part of the grill or, if broiling, turn the oven from broil to bake at 300 and finish slowly in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through.
17. Larger bone-in pieces of chicken may require longer cooking time in the oven.
18. Test the meat by making a small incision in a thick part near the bone; if the juices run clear, the meat is done.

19. Oven Method

20. Crank your oven up all the way and if you have a convection setting turn it on.
21. Arrange the chicken in a roasting pan, not too crowded, skin side up.
22. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
23. When the timer sounds, check the bird. It should be sizzling and golden brown. If not, add 5 minutes at a time until it looks cooked, though you know it is still raw on the bone. At this stage reduce the oven to 300 and let it slowly finish in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until he meat pulls from the bone easily.
24. Jerked food is better when well cooked through slowly.
25. When plating, drizzle the chicken with any accumulated juices.

26. Serve Ric Orlando’s BEST Purple Haze or Purple Haze Double Dose Hot Sauce and more Jerk Sauce on the side.

27. To Jerk pork chops, pork shoulder, lamb leg pieces or chuck steak skewers.

28. Marinate and tuck in the JERK in the same way as in the chicken recipe. Marinate, cook, starting fast and hard, finishing low and slow, basting and gathering juices instead of letting them drip away into the fire. Jerking is a great way to tenderize tougher cuts of meat. Don't waste jerk on filet mignon or rack of lamb.

29. For jerking a steak fish like Swordfish or Mahi Mahi, cut a narrow pocket into the side of each steak. Skim some of the solids from the jerk marinade and tuck into the pocket. Brush the fish with jerk sauce, wrap tightly and marinate the fish for no longer than 60 - 90 minutes before cooking. If you marinate it too long, the pineapple in the Jerk Sauce will cook the flesh.

30. Get your Jerk at Ric Orlando’s Taste Maker Market

31. Https://TasteMakerMarket.com