It fascinates me that siblings – those who are born to the same two parents, grow up in the same household, with the same food, traditions, environments, etc. – can be SO different. I am the middle of three girls, and we are quite close in age.
- We each have a different hair colour (naturally, that is) – one is a brunette, one blonde, one redhead.
- We have different general styles – one that always dresses in classy, one that chooses whatever is most comfortable, and one that rocks the Carhartts and flannel.
- We select different vacation locations, or dream residences – one loves California, one loves the lakes and woods of Minnesota (or Sweden!), and one has found love and life in Alaska.
But one thing is held in common: we all love good food!
At a recent “sisters week” in Alaska, my younger sister hosted a “food on a stick” party. There were amazing northern treats to enjoy — moose, salmon, halibut, dall sheep — and “jerk on a stick”. As wonderful as state fair food on a stick is, being able to enjoy these delicacies in my sister’s home made it so much better.
“Jerk” is typically a Jamaican spice rub with garlic, allspice, hot peppers, and salt, but every Caribbean region has it’s own variety of jerk seasoning – some are dry rubs, and some use fresh herbs. With its roots in West Africa, jerk has been modified over and over again in the past 200 years.
The most important part of jerk is the pepper. Many use Scotch Bonnet peppers, but I prefer habañeros. They have a similar level of heat, but a habañero is more fruity, citrus-like, and has a floral aroma. It’s perfect when used with cilantro and garlic, with lots of lime. This jerk is almost “blow your face off” hot, but the cooling creamy sauce is the perfect foil, and when served over brown rice, the balance is amazing.
I use either pork tenderloin or strips of chicken if I’m going to skewer this and grill the meat. I’ve also baked the meat with great success. Tonight I made it in the pressure cooker. Whichever way you choose to prepare the meat, you will be rewarded with a moist, flavourful, incredible meal that transports you to the Caribbean for a brief respite.
Jerk Chicken (or Pork)
Description
Spicy meat tamed with a fresh sauce
Ingredients
- Marinade:
- 2 habañero peppers
- 3–4 cups fresh cilantro, rinsed and spun dry
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 6 scallions, white and green parts
- 8–10 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cups fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 Tbsp ground allspice
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 5 pounds chicken or pork tenderloin, cut into strips
- Sauce:
- 1 cup sour cream, or greek yoghurt
- zest from 2 limes, juice from 1 lime
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Soak skewers in water, if you will be grilling meat.
- Put all the marinade ingredients into blender or food processor, and blend thoroughly.
- Place meat in large ziploc bag, coat well with marinade. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Whisk together sauce ingredients, and allow flavours to marry while meat is marinating.
- Preheat oven (to 350 degrees) or grill (to medium-high).
- Remove meat from bag, and brush off some of the marinade.
- Grill or bake until meat reaches 165 degrees.
- OR, brown meat in pressure cooker, cover, and cook on high for 5 minutes (chicken breast or pork tenderloin) or 12 minutes (chicken thigh meat).
- Serve on a bed of brown rice, topped with a couple tablespoons of sauce. Squirt with additional lime juice, if desired.
