Jerk Seasoning and Jerk Pork or Chicken, or, Why I Miss Jamaica

It is a seasoning, a way of cooking, and results in a delicious gravy, but it is not a sauce.

It is a process.When done right it is absolutely delicious. It is difficult to recreate in a kitchen, but I have done it many times and I will explain how I do it below.

First, I must credit the seasoning to a Jerk Master who works in Jamaica. The first bite I ever had of this jerk chicken, I was on the beach, with your dad, and after a day of swimming, this was the perfect thing. I just love that your father can handle his pepper.

This Jerk Master would hook us up and cover the chicken with gravy. I used to buy seasoning from him every time I went to visit, but no one knows where he is anymore. This is his recipe, and while I guard it, I share it with those who will do it justice. So to my babies, I hope one day you will enjoy the spicier side of life and try to make this for those you love. Maybe this is TMI, but jerk anything is a key to the heart. Use this to make anyone fall in love with you.

Here is the seasoning and recipe. Tread carefully. Seriously. Put on some gloves or something. You don't want to touch your eyes after making this.

I believe this is the guy who made the best jerk, and these are the barrels he cooked on.

Jerk Seasoning 

Garlic		1 head / 12 cloves
Onion		3 medium, diced
Green Onion		4 stalks
Scotch Bonnet		6-8 peppers
Ginger (fresh)		1 knob (2")
Soy Sauce		1/4 cup
Brown Sugar		1/4 cup
Thyme		10 stalks (strip the leaves)
Canola Oil		1/4 cup
Caramel/Browning (Grace)		2 tbsp
Allspice		8 berries (freshly ground)
Black Pepper		2 tbsp (freshly ground)
Cinnamon		1/2 tsp (freshly ground)
Nutmeg (allergy optional!)		1/2 tsp (freshly ground)

Jerk Seasoning Preparation:

1. Roughly chop all the ingredients for the seasoning.
2. Throw all the ingredients to a blender. If your blender is not glass, it will hold the scent and flavour of these ingredients. Also, a food processor will do just fine if that's what you prefer.
3. In a saucepan, cook down the mixture on a very low simmer for about 40 minutes to an hour. 
4. Continuously check and stir, make sure it hasn't scorched. Once scorched, you cannot recover and it will always taste 'burned'.
5. Jar the excess and keep in the fridge. You will use it up before it can ever go bad, but in the fridge it should keep for about a year.

Jerk Recipe (Pork or Chicken) Preparation:

1. Wash all your meat (I use pork shoulder, most people use chicken).
2. Pat the meat dry and take out the days aggression by stabbing it repeatedly. This is what makes jerk jerk. You are creating pockets for deliciousness.
3. In a produce bag, place the meat and the seasoning. For each pound of meat I add one cup of seasoning.
4. Remove the air and tie the bag, massaging the seasoning into the meat so that it is entirely coated.
5. Rest the meat in the fridge. Overnight is preferred, but a few hours will do. You will be happy if you give it the full day to marinate. 
6. Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking. If it is summer and you can grill outside, this is the best and most authentic way to enjoy! 
7. If it is winter, raining, or you are not in the mood for outdoor grilling, do this in the oven. Set the oven for 330 (pork shoulder) or 370 (chicken or fish).
8. Put the meat in a roasting dish and in the oven, 2 hours for the pork shoulder and 45 minutes for the chicken.
9. For the pork shoulder, after 2 hours, crank the heat up to 380 for another 20-30 minutes until the meat starts to colour nicely.
10. Take the meat out and test for doneness... let it rest to redistribute the juices. This should be about 15 minutes.
11. Slice before serving. Some like it on rice or with hard dough bread, but I eat it just so! Oh, and you can thicken the cooking liquid (be sure to drain off the fat!) to serve as the gravy.
12. I recommend a cold beer. Red Stripe if you can get it. Enjoy!

Trini Green Seasoning

Neither of you had the chance to really know your uncle Rob.

He was auntie Aviva's first boyfriend and his family was our family. He called me Sis up until his dying day. He was kind to a fault; he finished his apprenticeship to be an Electrician and was at the start of a promising career when he threw it all away to take care of his parents. Uncle Joe, his dad, had cancer. They moved back to Toronto from Trinidad and your uncle Rob gave everything up to work odd jobs and care for his parents. That's the kind of person he was.

One thing I would never forget about your uncle Rob (besides the dancing, dominoes, and drinks) was how well he could cook. Trini food was something I learned from him; not from auntie Carlen or Auntie Mel. Uncle Rob introduced me to Trini ingredients.

When we were in Trinidad it all came together; the garage on Epringham was his family's attempt to recreate the outdoor kitchen. It was there I first helped him (and learned in the process) make green seasoning.

Green seasoning is ubiquitous in Trinidad. Whether you are Indian, Black, Chinee or White, every culture uses it to marinate everything. It may vary here and there, but this is how I learned to make it, and to me this is the best.

I wish you both got to know your uncle Rob. You would have loved him.

Thanks for everything Robbie. We miss you.

From left to right: Canola oil, green onion, ginger, thyme, lime, scotch bonnet, garlic, salt, bandanya

Green Seasoning 

Bandanya/Chadon Beni		8 bunches
Green Onion		8 stalks
Thyme		6 stalks
Ginger (fresh)		1 knob (2")
Garlic		2 bulbs
Scotch Bonnet		1-3 peppers (depending on your preferences)
Lime (juice & zest)		1
Canola Oil		2 cups
Sea Salt		3 tbsp
Water		1 cup

Preparation:

1. Wash all your herbs, peel your garlic and skin your ginger.
2. Roughly chop the bandanya, green onion, garlic and ginger.
3. Strip the thyme leaves from the woody stalks.
4. Zest and juice the lime. 
5. Add all the ingredients to a blender. If your blender is not glass, it will hold the scent and flavour of these ingredients. Not great if you're making a smoothie. Rob's family had a blender set aside just for making seasoning.
6. Add the salt and the scotch bonnet peppers. One is hot enough, but if you want it super hot, add up to three. Are the kids going to eat? Maybe opt for no scotch bonnet. Even though I'm trying to introduce heat to my kids, this base seasoning can make them refuse an entire meal. Judge wisely.
7. Add the water. Just enough to help the blender along.
8. Blend all the ingredients until everything is well blended. It will not be smooth, but you should not be able to distinguish any one ingredient from the other. 
9. Remove the centre lid from the blender cover and restart the blender on slow. slowly pour in the canola oil. Continue blending until the mixture is a pale green.
10. Use this to marinate any meat or fish. Use this as a base for curry or stew. I can use a spoonful of this to make a quick mango chow in the summertime.
11. I freeze cubes for easy use and jar the rest of the mixture which stays in the fridge for immediate use. if you do this, pour a thin layer of oil on top to prevent spoilage.