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Jerk
Barbecue from Jamaica
By Helen Willinsky

by Helen Willinsky

Some people find marinades more convenient to use than spice pastes. This Jamaican marinade is more liquid than a paste, but not as liquid as most marinades. The flavor of the jerk marinade may strike you as a little harsh when you first mix it, but I assure you, the flavors will all blend and mellow as the meat cooks. To increase the heat of this rather mild marinade, add hot pepper sauce. If you want less heat, remove the seeds and membranes containing the seeds from the peppers before grinding them.

Yield: About 1½ cups

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup finely chopped scallion
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground Jamaican pimento (allspice)
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 hot pepper, finely ground
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon cider or white vinegar

Method:
Mix together all the ingredients. A food processor fitted with a steel blade is ideal for chopping and combining. This will provide an excellent marinade for chicken, beef or pork.
Store leftover marinade in the refrigerator in a tightly closed jar for about 1 (one) month.

Uses:

• Authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken
• Jamaican Jerk Barbecued Ribs