This recipe came from Fine Cooking, June/July 1994 (text at Internet Archive).
Jerk: the process
Jerking is a two-step process. First you marinate the meat for at least four hours; overnight is better. Then you slow-cook it, preferably over hardwood coals, be- cause the sweet hardwood smoke contributes half the flavor of the finished jerk. Here in Texas, I use pecan, apple, or my favorite, peach. Maple, walnut, almond, or hickory would be fine, too.
The traditional Jamaican way is to dig a pit about two feet deep and set stones or cinder blocks at each end to support the green sticks of the grill frame- work about eight inches above the coals. The fire is started and when the coals are ready, the sticks are set in place, and the meat is put on the barbecue. Banana leaves used to be placed on top to help trap the smoky heat; nowadays it’s more likely to be a sheet of galvanized zinc. The meats are “jerked,” or turned, every 15 to 20 minutes. Pork takes two to four hours and chicken 45 minutes to two hours, de- pending on the fire. The slower and longer the cooking process, the better the finished jerk.
To make jerk pork at home, I marinate the meat and refrigerate it overnight. I use a lot of jerk in pro- portion to the amount of meat, normally two to three cups of jerk rub for a 6-pound pork butt roast. I prepare the pork butt by removing the bone (you can have the butcher do this). Then I place it skin-side down on the cutting board and cut it at 11⁄2-inch intervals straight down to, but not through, the bottom layer of fat next to the skin. I rotate the roast 90° and again cut at 11⁄2-inch intervals. This makes a lot of stubby, square fingers of meat, all connected on one side by fat and skin. I rub the jerk deeply into these pieces of meat.
About an hour before I begin cooking the roast, I start a fire in my covered grill with mesquite. When the mesquite coals are ashen, I add peach or pecan wood (I do this because there’s always more mes- quite available than fruitwood). I put a drip pan directly under the meat to prevent scorching. I often pour half a bottle of Jamaican Red Stripe beer into the drip pan (I drink the other half). I set the pork on the grill rack 6 to 8 inches from the coals, cover it with a pot or lid, and “jerk” it every 15 to 20 minutes until the meat is tender, spicy, and succulent. By the time the pork is done, the pan’s contents are a great dipping sauce.
Jerk Rub
You’ll get a better texture if you chop the herbs and pep- pers by hand. A food processor or blender is a time-saver, but it tends to make an overly smooth purée. If you want to use a machine, be sure to pour in the half cup of oil first, and then add the herbs. The thyme and peppers should always be chopped by hand and added at the end. Be care- ful with the peppers, however. Their oils can really burn your eyes and skin, so be sure to wash your hands when you’re finished chopping. And don’t add the seeds unless you like a lot of heat.
If you grind the spices in a coffee mill or spice grinder, start with the nutmeg and cinnamon. Grind these until coarse, then add the other spices, and grind them all to- gether until fine. If you use preground spices, you might need to use more—up to double—depending on how long they’ve been sitting in your cupboard.
Jerk rub is best after a few hours, when its flavors have had a chance to meld. The rub keeps for up to three months in the refrigerator. I tend to jerk everything in sight for a week and then have to make more. Makes 3 cups.
30 scallions
5-in. piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 head fresh garlic cloves, peeled
6 bay leaves
6 to 8 Scotch bonnet peppers, seeded, chopped fine by hand (substitute habaneros if necessary)
2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg, preferably Jamaican
2 tsp. freshly ground cinnamon (about 1 stick)
1 Tbs. freshly ground allspice, preferably Jamaican
2 Tbs. black peppercorns, ground fresh
2 Tbs. whole coriander seeds, ground fresh
1 Tbs. sea or kosher salt
1 cup fresh thyme leaves, chopped fine by hand
OPTIONAL:
1⁄2 cup oil (only if using a blender)
1 tsp. apricot jam or honey (only if using habaneros instead
of Scotch bonnets)
Chop the scallions, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, and peppers separately until moderately fine. Combine these ingredients and chop until fine. Put in a bowl and add the ground spices. Stir in the chopped thyme and mix well.
