I couldn't find much on this site about a particular style of barbecue from Jamaica, called Jerk.
Jerk has a very colorful history, as colorful as the history of Jamaica itself. For that I'll refer you to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerk_(cooking)
Jerk was likely an original technique the escaped slaves the British called the Maroons would have used on the wild pigs that live in the mountains of Jamaica, so feel free to experiment with this technique on pork as well.
Immigrants have brought all kinds of culinary influences, including the Chinese use of soy sauce and 5 spice to Jerk. The first recipe I tried had soy sauce, and it came out way too salty for me. The centerpiece of the recipe though is ginger, garlic and lots of allspice.
The biggest challenge to cooking Jerk is that it's originally not grilled on a metal grill, but on green branches of the tree that produces allspice berries, Pimiento. This is an effect I'm not sure you can actually duplicate, but chefs in Jamaica and all over the world have done without that technique for ages.
All these measurements are approximate, so use your own judgement on proportions and substitutions. There are a zillion recipes for jerk chicken on the web, but this is the one that worked well for me.

Jerk Chicken 3/5/2021
4-6 chicken thighs (more chicken? Scale up the recipe).
1 med shallot, chopped
1†piece of ginger, peeled, chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed, chopped
1 habanero, seeded, chopped (I used 2 habanero, as they weren't very hot. Be careful with these!).
1 1/2tsp ground allspice.
1tsp galangal (also try nutmeg, clove, 5 spice, etc)
1 lime, juiced (save the shells)
1 satsuma tangerine, juiced (adds sweetness. Sub orange juice, etc)
1 tsp (a splash) of worstershire sauce.
Pinch of kosher salt (just salt the vegetables!)
Blend all ingredients until chunky/smooth.
Salt chicken (or other protein) as you normally would in advance. The key to salt balance is salting the protein and the vegetables separately.
Combine chicken, Jerk marinade and lime shells in a zip top bag, or other tight-fitting container and let marinate at least an hour, better overnight.
Cook over indirect charcoal, slowly (250-300°f) until just cooked (160-165°f)
I used a lot of cherry wood pellets, as I think smoke is an important part, and cherry gives me some sweetnes and perfume that I can at least imagine pimento wood would carry.
Jerk has a very colorful history, as colorful as the history of Jamaica itself. For that I'll refer you to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerk_(cooking)
Jerk was likely an original technique the escaped slaves the British called the Maroons would have used on the wild pigs that live in the mountains of Jamaica, so feel free to experiment with this technique on pork as well.
Immigrants have brought all kinds of culinary influences, including the Chinese use of soy sauce and 5 spice to Jerk. The first recipe I tried had soy sauce, and it came out way too salty for me. The centerpiece of the recipe though is ginger, garlic and lots of allspice.
The biggest challenge to cooking Jerk is that it's originally not grilled on a metal grill, but on green branches of the tree that produces allspice berries, Pimiento. This is an effect I'm not sure you can actually duplicate, but chefs in Jamaica and all over the world have done without that technique for ages.
All these measurements are approximate, so use your own judgement on proportions and substitutions. There are a zillion recipes for jerk chicken on the web, but this is the one that worked well for me.
Jerk Chicken 3/5/2021
4-6 chicken thighs (more chicken? Scale up the recipe).
1 med shallot, chopped
1†piece of ginger, peeled, chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed, chopped
1 habanero, seeded, chopped (I used 2 habanero, as they weren't very hot. Be careful with these!).
1 1/2tsp ground allspice.
1tsp galangal (also try nutmeg, clove, 5 spice, etc)
1 lime, juiced (save the shells)
1 satsuma tangerine, juiced (adds sweetness. Sub orange juice, etc)
1 tsp (a splash) of worstershire sauce.
Pinch of kosher salt (just salt the vegetables!)
Blend all ingredients until chunky/smooth.
Salt chicken (or other protein) as you normally would in advance. The key to salt balance is salting the protein and the vegetables separately.
Combine chicken, Jerk marinade and lime shells in a zip top bag, or other tight-fitting container and let marinate at least an hour, better overnight.
Cook over indirect charcoal, slowly (250-300°f) until just cooked (160-165°f)
I used a lot of cherry wood pellets, as I think smoke is an important part, and cherry gives me some sweetnes and perfume that I can at least imagine pimento wood would carry.
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