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A jerk by any other name.... By Chef Kady Guyton
Hot countries tend to produce hot food. There is a reason why Norway is not known for their spicy cuisine. Eating spicy stuff creates a sweating reaction - which can be useful in the tropics. As we head into spring and summer, having a sweat-inducing recipe in your collection can be useful.
Caribbean countries have a long and proud tradition of spicy and flavorful cuisine. One the most popular is jerk sauce, originating in Jamaica. Jerk is both a flavor and a style of cooking. Meat is rubbed or marinated in the sauce, then cooked over low heat. Like most tasty things, the flavor and technique have spread.
All jerk sauce is spicy to some degree - that is its essence and reason for being. To achieve serious levels of spice, one needs ingredients that can deliver. Most jerk sauce recipes involve peppers, lots of them. And not wimpy mild peppers like bells or even jalapenos. For this sort of thing, there are only two choices: habeneros or scotch bonnets.
Habeneros are easy to pick out. They are usually deep red or green and have the classic tapered shape we expect from a pepper. Scotch bonnets, on the other hand, are deceptive. They are bright orange or yellow and very cute. They look like little Japanese lanterns and also a lot like milder varieties or pepper. Check carefully before buying.
Once home, treat them carefully as well. Habeneros and scotch bonnets are both on the strong side of the heat scale. Capsaicin oil is what gives peppers their heat and 90% of it is found in the flesh. Removing the seeds and pith from inside a pepper does very little to reduce the heat. Be careful when working with them. Wear latex gloves if you have them, if you choose to wrestle the peppers barehanded Do Not touch anywhere near your eye. Gentlemen, wash your hands with soap throughly before going to the bathroom. Thin skin is thin skin no matter where it is located on the body.
I have been told that yogurt or sour cream applied to the skin can cut the capsaicin oil, but I haven't had to test this theory out myself. I had the dumb luck to get jalapeno pepper in my eye while in culinary school, which is also known as a "once in your career" mistake. An ocean of water later and it will never happen again.
One thing I like about this recipe is that all the ingredients are tossed in a blender or food processor and whirled until smooth. Much less room for misadventure that way. I do recommend that you remove the seeds from the peppers, they don't generally puree well and taking them out makes for a much smoother final product. Plus, biting into a pepper seed can really ruin an evening.
Once everything is blended, the resulting sauce can be poured over any mild flavored meat. Chicken is traditional, but firm white fish, pork or tofu will all work equally well. The sauce is meant to be grilled, but I've also cooked it in the oven with excellent results.
What to serve with it? White rice is great as is coleslaw or anything else with a light, creamy dressing. Red Stripe beer is the traditional beverage, but the enzymes in a mango or pineapple fruit drink will cut the heat and be culturally correct.
Fire up the grill, turn up the reggae music and enjoy the sun.
Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken
1/3 cup fresh lime juice Directions:
Brush mixture over one cut up chicken or 8 chicken legs (skin on).
Grill method: Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire, when the coals are white arrange the chicken skin-side down and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, turn the chicken and cook for another 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165.
Oven method: Preheat oven to 350. Arrange chicken in a single layer on a foil-lined pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165.
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