I’m not Jamaican but I jerk a lot. And if you’ve had good jerk, and was curious to know what was in it, you’ve come to the right place.
This is a breakdown of that aromatic, fiery and addictive flavor that we know as Jamaica jerk seasoning.
What is jerk?
So what is jerk exactly? Jerk is a spice, it’s a seasoning, it’s a marinade, but for me jerk is a Jamaican style of cooking that involves either dry rubbing or wet marinating meat like pork, fish, or chicken with a fiery scotch bonnet pepper based spice mix and cooking over a hot fire using native Jamaican pimento wood.
The best jerk seasoning whether dry spice or wet marinade comes down to a few essentials:
Has a strong aroma of the Caribbean - thyme, ginger, garlic, all spice all come out
It is well balanced flavorwise. Too often cooks make it so spicy you can't really enjoy the dish since your taste buds have been shot.
Color matters! Like a lot. Good jerk has a dark hue.
What is in dry jerk seasoning
In my humble opinion jerk spice ain’t jerk spice without all-spice, thyme, nutmeg, garlic, ginger, and scotch bonnet/habanero as the base. Salt and pepper go without saying, but secondary spices for consideration and personalizing would include cinnamon, onion powder, sage, chives, and brown sugar.
Where possible I prefer to use whole spices which you can heat up to maximize flavor and then grind using a coffee grinder.
What is in wet jerk paste mix?
Jerk marinades usually include a mix of dry jerk spices and fresh ingredients like ginger, garlic, green onions, chili pepper, lime juice and thyme. Additionally soy sauce and vinegar may be added as liquids to help form the paste.
How to make jerk seasoning
Making a dry seasoning mix is pretty straight forward. You’re just mixing the ingredients in a mixing bowl. However if you choose to level things up a bit you can grate your own fresh nutmeg and toast the whole spices.
For the wet paste/jerk marinade you’ll need a blender and possibly a coffer/spice grinder for the whole pimento berries aka all spice. I like to grate nutmeg right into the blender. You can adjust your ratio of liquid to dry ingredients to get the desired consistency you’re looking for. For thicker pastes I go heavy on the green onions, thyme, and all spice. For a thinner consistency you can increase the lime juice and/or soy.
Where can I buy pre-made jerk seasoning
There are several quality jerk marinades. Walkerswood and Grace are the most popular and accessible. You can find them both in any grocery store for the most part. Nothing beats homemade but they work fine.
For pre-made dry jerk spice mix you’ll be challenged. Most spice houses/shops will definitely have their own house mix which you can order online or if you’re lucky to live nearby a local spot you can but. Penzy’s and Spice House are two of my favorites.
How can you use jerk in recipes?
Most meats and even some vegetables make for great fits with jerk seasoning. Any meat - seafood, poultry, and pork are natural pairing. Jamaica is world known for it’s jerk chicken to the point that when people think jerk it’s assumed that they’re referring to chicken.
If you go to any Jamaican food focused restaurant their quality is determined based on how well they jerk chicken. If the jerk chicken don’t hit right, move on!. By the same token, if you find a good one, become the mayor of that mofo! Jerkin is a way of life, and everybody ain’t about that life.
Jerk Based Recipes
Instant Pot Jerk Chicken Thighs
Jerk Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Pan Roasted Jerk Chicken Thighs
Air Fryer Steak with Jerk Butter
If you make any of these jerk recipes or any other from the site, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.
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Sonia
Tuesday 25th of January 2022
I have Jamaica pimento wood that produces excellent jerk
Marwin Brown
Tuesday 25th of January 2022
Thats excellent. I've had it shipped but it was expensive.