How To Make Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

The island of Jamaica is famous for its beautiful beaches, reggae music, exotic fruits, its cheerful people and their amazing food. But, you haven't tasted Jamaica until you've tried Jamaican Jerk, ya mon! Be forewarned, if you cannot handle spicy-hot foods, jerk may not be for you. Omitting chili pepper vastly changes the end product, and it's just not jerk without the heat. But you can use a milder pepper if you wish.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup ground allspice berries
• 1/2+ cup packed brown sugar
• 6 to 8 garlic cloves
• 4 to 6 Scotch bonnet peppers, depending on size
• 1 tablespoon ground thyme or 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
• 2 bunches Green onions
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce to moisten

Step 1  

Place allspice, brown sugar, garlic, scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, green onion, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and soy sauce in a food processor and pulse it until smooth. You may use whole allspice berries, if available, but use enough to give the equivalent of 1/2 cup ground. (Allspice berries and scotch bonnets are key ingredients.) Keep this sauce refrigerated and it will keep for just about forever.

Step 2  

Rub the meat (chicken, pork or beef) with the seasoning. If using a pork shoulder, score the fat and rub in. With chicken, be sure to rub under skin and in cavities. This seasoning can also be used with fish, but use a firm-fleshed fish like tuna or salmon.

Step 3  

For best results, marinate overnight.

Step 4  

Enjoy your food.

Tips

• For the most flavorful seasoning possible, buy the spices whole, toast them lightly in a dry skillet, just until they begin to give off tantalizing aromas, and then grind them in a clean coffee grinder or, if you have one, a mortar and pestle.
• Remove the stems from the peppers, and, if you want to decrease the heat, also remove the white membranes and seeds from the inside.
• Do not handle Scotch bonnet peppers without wearing plastic or latex gloves; the oils can cause serious irritation and burning to your hands
• If you're a bit apprehensive about eating something that hot, you can substitute a milder pepper - your jerked meats will still taste great. Of course, for hotter sauce, use more pepper.
• When cooking with this, it's recommended that you do so over a barbecue.
• If you find the sauce too spicy after cooking, do not drink water. Any sugary drink is better at combating this (or even a tea spoon of sugar on the tongue). See Cool Your Tongue After Eating Spicy Food for more.

Warnings

• This sauce can be very spicy. Increase the amount of garlic and peppers with caution.
• Do not handle Scotch bonnet peppers without wearing plastic or latex gloves; the oils can cause serious irritation and burning to your hands

Things You'll Need

• Food Processor
• Coffee Grinder or a Mortar and Pestle
• Plastic or Latex Gloves