How to make Jerk Chicken
There is many ways to make jerk chicken. Jerk Chicken is a Jamaican dish that has become known worldwide. Over the years people have changed the way it is made to make it more convenient to their needs. Today I’m going to share with you the four easy steps to make it right in your own homes. Follow these four easy steps and in no time you will be eating Jerk Chicken like my native Jamaicans.
Step one: you’re going to need the main ingredient, the chicken which is the most important part of the dish. Most people like to make jerk chicken with the breast of the chicken but the best part of the chicken to use is the tie area.
Step two: the ingredients. One chopped onion, half a cup of chopped green onions, half a teaspoon dried of thyme, one teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of sugar, one teaspoon of ground allspice, half a teaspoon of cinnamon, half a teaspoon of nutmeg, one teaspoon of black pepper, one habanero (very hot) or jalapeno (more mild). Make sure their chopped fine, two tablespoons of soy sauce, one tablespoon cider of vinegar, and last but not least one tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Step two: combine all the ingredients in a food processor; make sure all ingredients are properly processed until a smooth puree is formed. Then put the chicken in a large bowl, and pour over the marinade. Mix the chicken with your hands making sure every piece is properly coated completely, covered and marinated over night in a refrigerator.
Step three: after letting the chicken marinate overnight, its time to take it out of the refrigerator and let it thaw. After letting it thaw for about 20 minutes, its time to start cooking. Truly genuine Jamaican Jerk Chicken is cooked over charcoal, pimento wood, and over pimento leaf. This is similar to plank grilling. Pimento wood is wood cut from Jamaican Allspice Tree.
The smoke from the wood imports a key flavor into the meat. Make sure you have the right allspice in the U.S. It is imported from Mexico and Honduras and it is a sweeter side of allspice. Jamaican Allspice is sharper, and on the pepper and clove side of spices, the reason for this is Jamaica rocky soil. All of these products can be found on the web. Make sure you type in pimento wood when you are looking for the Allspice tree.
Step four: the final step. While waiting for your chicken to thaw, you can start preheating your oven to 425 degrees. After your chicken thaws and your oven is heated, it is time to put the chicken in to the oven to cook. This should take around 45 minutes to an hour. While waiting for the chicken to finish you can cook some mashed potatoes and corn to serve with it.