Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meats (traditionally pork, but now including chicken, fish, tofu) are dry-rubbed with a fiery spice mixture (called Jamaican jerk spice) and then cooked in a pit, on a grill or on an open fire (an oven will do in a pinch). Jerk refers to the technique, the spice mixture, and the finished product.

The jerk seasoning relies upon a few typical items: Allspice (Jamaican pepper, Jamaican pimento) and Habanero or Scotch Bonnet peppers being the most common basic ingredients. Cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme and other ingredients are often added. It is now possible to find pre-made jerk seasoning mixes. Source: Wikipedia

Sweat ‘N Spice has added some new prodicts which means I get to play! Out of the Jerk Seasonings we now have on the SNS site, I decided to try out the Walkerswood Traditional Jamaican Jerk spice first. Having never cooked jerk chicken, I had to do a bit of research before hand and after about an hour of reading 100’s of different recipes I learned that essentially ‘jerk’ is whatever you make of it. So with that in mind, and the fact that I don’t have immediate access to an outdoor grill, I set of on a mission.

One Jerk Chicken coming up:

Pre-made jerk is the most logical way for a guy like me to go. And by guy like me, I mean not Jamaican. 80% of the work has already be done, you just need to slather it on and cook it up!

Simply mix some of the jerk seasoning with a little bit of oil (I used olive) and rub the chicken well. I let the chicken sit and marinate overnight. Then, first thing in the morning I began cooking. With this small chicken (5lbs) I went with 250 degrees for 3-4 hours - covered w/ water in the bottom of the roasting pan. Then once the chicken was cooked to temp, I removed the cover, cranked the heat up to 450 and let brown for another 30-45 minutes.

And there you have it - one jerked chicken. So tender the meat was literally falling off the bone. And talk about flavor! I can’t wait to mix up some of the leftovers (if there are any) in a salad.