Jerk chicken being cooked

Jerk spices packaged in jars

Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meats (traditionally pork, but now including chicken, fish, beef, sausage and even tofu) are dry-rubbed with a fiery spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice. Jerk seasoning principally relies upon two items: allspice (Jamaican Pimento) and Scotch Bonnet peppers (among the hottest peppers on the Scoville scale). Other ingredients include cloves, cinnamon, scallions, nutmeg, thyme, garlic, which is mixed together to form a marinade which is rubbed onto pork, chicken, or fish. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 549 KB) Description: Jerk chicken being cooked on a barbeque at the London United/Rise festival - 16 July 05. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 549 KB) Description: Jerk chicken being cooked on a barbeque at the London United/Rise festival - 16 July 05. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (956x761, 243 KB) Jamacian Jerk seasoning wet and dry forms, 3 containers I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (956x761, 243 KB) Jamacian Jerk seasoning wet and dry forms, 3 containers I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Cooking is the act of preparing food. ... Meat is animal flesh (mainly muscle tissue) used as food, sometimes with the exception of fish, other seafood, and poultry. ... For other uses, see Spice (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr. ... Scotch Bonnet peppers in a Caribbean market The Scotch Bonnet (Capsicum chinense) is a variety of Chile Pepper similar to and of the same species as the habanero. ... Naga Jolokia (naga morich, bhut jolokia), the Indian chili tested hottest in the world at 1,040,000 SHU. The Red Savinaâ„¢ pepper, one of the hottest chilis, is rated at 580,000 SHU. Only Naga Jolokia and Dorset Naga are hotter. ... This article is about spices, the word clove is also used to describe a segment of a head of garlic and a clove hitch is a useful kind of knot. ... Binomial name J.Presl Cassia (Chinese cinnamon) is also commonly called (and sometimes sold as) cinnamon. ... Chopped up Spring Onion The common name scallion is associated with various members of the genus Allium that lack a fully-developed bulb. ... It has been suggested that Legal drugs#Nutmeg be merged into this article or section. ... Species About 350 species, including: Thymus adamovicii Thymus altaicus Thymus amurensis Thymus bracteosus Thymus broussonetii Thymus caespititius Thymus camphoratus Thymus capitatus Thymus capitellatus Thymus camphoratus Thymus carnosus Thymus cephalotus Thymus cherlerioides Thymus ciliatus Thymus cilicicus Thymus cimicinus Thymus comosus Thymus comptus Thymus curtus Thymus disjunctus Thymus doerfleri Thymus glabrescens Thymus... Binomial name L. Allium sativum L., commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. ...

Jerk chicken, pork, or fish is said to be at its best when barbecued over aromatic wood charcoal or briquettes. Pimento (allspice) wood or berries placed over coals give Jerk its authentic flavor. A barbecue in a public park in Australia A barbecue on a trailer at a block party in Kansas City Pans on the top shelf hold hamburgers and hot dogs that were grilled earlier when the coals were hot. ... Charcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. ... A briquette (or briquet) is a block of flammable matter, such as escaillage, which can be used to start a fire. ... Binomial name Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr. ...

The Spanish word charqui (dried meat) gave the name to both jerk and jerky. Jamaican "jerk" ties well into its Spanish/Caribbean roots, since of all the modern barbecueing processes, in its purest form it corresponds the closest to historical descriptions of the Caribs' method. The Caribs would construct a grid of green sticks some distance above a smoldering green pimento wood (that is, the wood of the allspice tree) fire in a shallow pit, place meat on the grid and cover it with pimento leaves to impart further flavour while trapping the smoke for maximum effect. Hong Kong style unpackaged beef jerky Jerky is meat which has been cut into strips with the fat trimmed off, marinated in a spiced, salty or sweet liquid for a desired flavor, then dried with low heat (usually under 70°C/160°F) or occasionally salted and sun-dried. ... This article is about the Island Carib, who lived on the islands of the Caribbean. ... Binomial name Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr. ...

A grill over an open fire suffices in the modern rendition. The widely available pre-made seasoning mixes give a passable jerk flavour to meat baked in a kitchen oven.

[edit] Modern day "Jerkers"

Jerk chicken as London festival food

Jerking has evolved over time from pit fires to old oil barrel halves as the container of choice. In about the 1960s, Jamaican entrepreneurs sought to recreate the smoked pit flavor, and relatively quickly came up with a solution. The solution was to cut oil barrels lengthwise and attach hinges, drilling several ventilation holes for the smoke. These barrels are often heated by layers of charcoal, which some say lends itself to making the burnt smokey taste. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1995x1371, 496 KB) Description: Jerk chicken as served with salad at the London United/Rise festival - 16 July 05. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1995x1371, 496 KB) Description: Jerk chicken as served with salad at the London United/Rise festival - 16 July 05. ... A fire ring is a device used to contain campfires and prevent them from spreading and turning into wildfires. ... Traditional wooden barrels in Cutchogue Modern stainless steel beer barrels—also called casks or kegs—outside the Castle Rock microbrewery in Nottingham, England For other uses, see Barrel (disambiguation). ... Charcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. ...

Street-side "jerk stands" are most frequently found in Jamaica and nearby Cayman Islands. Jerked meat, usually chicken or pork, can be purchased along with Hard Dough or Jamaican fried dumpling served as a side. The starches in the breads lend themselves to counteracting the powerful pepper of the jerk. Recipes for Jamaican jerk spice vary, and it is often debated around jerk stands about which chef's secret recipe of spices and herbs makes the best Jerk seasoning.

Jerk cooking has followed the Jamaican diaspora all over the world, and authentic Jerk can now be found at restaurants anywhere a significant population of Jamaicans exists, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, or the United States. The Jamaican diaspora exists in the US, UK, Canada, and other Caribbean islands, but Jamaicans can be found in even the far corners of the world. ...

[edit] External links

• Video recipe for authentic Jamaican jerk chicken