Having never made jerk style cuisine before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I am glad I tried it.
In my opinion, scotch bonnet , which is the main ingredient in Jamaican jerk seasoning , is amongst the hottest peppers in the world. According to Wikipedia, It has a heat rating of 200,000 to 300,000 on the Scoville Scale compared to jalapeños which rate at 2500 to 8000. This baby packs some serious heat.
Another important ingredient is Jamaican allspice (not to be confused with the allspice ground combination powder we all use). Jamaican allspice, also known as Myrtle pepper, is a dark brown dried berry that looks like peppercorn. It is slightly peppery in flavor.
Last but not least, fresh Thyme, though not indigenous to the island, is a popular herb in Jamaican cuisine.
When all three ingredients are combined, the result is food that is spicy and sweet in flavor.
Jamaican cuisine is quite diverse and mention must be made of British, Spanish, Indian and Chinese influence. The different cultures brought various dishes to the island resulting in a fusion of techniques and traditions.
This is my first try at jerk cuisine and all I can say is ” it is awesome if you can handle the heat.”
The traditional jerk pork recipe requires marinating pork overnight. This is a speedy version but nevertheless packs loads of flavor. It is deliciously hot and sweet. Sandwiches made with leftover jerk pork tenderloin are to die for.
**Note: If you have never tried scotch bonnet peppers before you may want to start with one half instead of a whole pepper. As with all hot chili peppers, you will need to omit the seeds to reduce heat. Be sure to wear gloves when handling hot peppers.
Ingredients:
- 2 pork tenderloins
- Jerk marinade
Jerk Marinade
- 1 tsp Jamaican allspice
- 4 scalions
- 3 cloves of garlic
- One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger (about 2 inches)
- 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper seeded
- 2 tbs fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbs brown sugar or honey
- 1 tbs low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 tbs red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup of fresh parsley leaves
Cut pork tenderloin into 1-inch pieces. Lightly flatten and season with salt pepper. Set aside.
To make the jerk marinade, place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer marinade to a bowl. Add pork and marinate for two hours.
Preheat a non-stick pan with some olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook pork pieces for 2 minutes on each side until nicely brown. Do not over cook. Remove pork from pan and set aside. Add the remaining jerk marinade to the pan and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour the sauce over pork and serve with Jamaican style rice.
