What is jerk chicken?
Jerk chicken is a Jamaican method of cooking chicken using specific spices and ingredients native to the Caribbean island. Marinated and then slow cooked over wood or charcoal on low heat to produce tender meat, It is spicy and uses Scotch bonnet peppers to add flavor. A famous Caribbean food and staple of Jamaican cuisine, authentic jerk chicken also requires allspice or pimento.
History of Jerk Chicken
It is believed that the Arawak Indians, early settlers in Jamaica, used one of the first methods of “jerking” meats by rubbing pork with salt, peppers and spices and allowing it to dry in the sun. This portable form of cured, dried meat could be kept for long periods of time. Records indicate that West African hunters on the island, who later became enslaved in the 1600’s, used similar methods to cook jerk chicken, but instead of using heat to dry the meat, cooked it over fire wood.
Modern Day Jerk Chicken
Today, the term “jerk” is used to identify meats, vegetables and fruits that are marinated with peppers and spices, then cooked over low heat for long periods of time to render them tender and tasty. Traditional Caribbean ingredients used to make a jerk chicken rub include very spicy Scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, allspice (also known as pimento), salt, sugar, cloves, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and lime juice. These ingredients are blended together to create a dry rub or wet paste and applied to the chicken before cooking.
Ready made “jerk” spices are available in wet or dry form in the international section of grocery stores where other Caribbean foods are found. They range from moderately spicy to very hot.
How to Make Jerk Chicken
It is simpler to buy a prepared “jerk” mix if you are unfamiliar with the traditional ingredients or have difficulty finding them locally. Prior to working with any type of “jerk” spice, put on plastic gloves to protect your skin from the oils contained in the peppers.
If you purchase a dry rub, use a sharp knife to make slits in raw, bone in chicken pieces, press the rub under the skin and into the slits and marinate in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours. For a wet rub, follow the same instructions and slather the raw chicken pieces thoroughly with the mixture, then marinate anywhere from 2 hours to overnight. The longer you allow the spice mixture to penetrate the meat, the spicier it will taste!
After your chicken has been seasoned and marinated for a couple of hours, you are ready to cook! Prepare your grill with charcoal or wood chips and heat to a temperature of 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
The key to making tender, crispy, melt-in-you-mouth, fall-off-the-bone tasty jerk chicken is to first sear the meat on both sides. Place the seasoned chicken pieces on your hot grill for a couple of minutes, then flip over and repeat on the other side. You should see grill marks on the meat. Lower the heat to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and cook chicken for another 50 to 90 minutes, turning every 20 minutes to prevent burning. Chicken wings, legs and thighs will typically be ready in about 50-60 minutes over low heat, while chicken breasts on the bone need about 80-90 minutes on the grill. Using low or indirect heat and keeping the meat away from direct fire will render it moist and flavorful.
When the chicken is fully cooked, remove from the grill, put on a platter and allow the chicken to rest for five minutes. This allows the juices to mingle inside the meat and keeps it juicy. Grab a cold beverage and enjoy your freshly prepared, spicy, delicious jerk chicken.
“Jerk” is traditional caribbean barbeque very different than the usual barbeque most persons are used to. Chicken or pork is covered with a thick aromatic paste made from scallions, vinegar, allspice, scotch bonnet peppers, and molasses and allowed to marinate overnight before being placed on a a wood or charcoal fire with the addition of pimento (allspice tree) wood. Smoking is done for several hours until the meat is thouroughly cooked. The meat is then chopped bone and all into bite sized pieces to eat with one’s fingers. Usually served with rice and peas boiled in cocoanut milk. The best Jerk Chicken can be found in Boston Bay, near Port Antonio, Jamaica.
