Outstanding Honey Jerk Marinade.

While on a recent trip to the Caribbean I was challenged by a honey producer (and given a bag of goodies) to use her honey in a recipe when I got back home. While the honey will compete with the more flavorful ingredients in this jerk marinade (like the spices, herbs and Scotch Bonnet peppers), it does enough to let you know “hey I’m here too“!

You’ll Need…

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup Vinegar
1/2 cup Soy sauce – dark
2 limes (juice)
3/4 cup Orange juice – fresh
15 Jamaican Pimento berries – all spice
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoon raw cane sugar
1.5 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon clove powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
10-15 sprigs thyme
2 scallions
thick piece of ginger
1 large onion
8-10 cloves garlic
3 Scotch bonnet peppers
2 tablespoon honey (add more for a more pronounced honey undertone)
2 bay leaves

NOTE! Please remember to use as many Scotch Bonnet Peppers as you can tolerate (removing the seeds and white membrane around the seeds will help reduce the heat level). Wear gloves when handling them and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. I used a cinnamon stick as I didn’t have any cinnamon powder. With the Cinnamon stick and All Spice (pimento) Berries you’ll need a powerful blender or food processor to break those down. Alternatively you can use the powder form – for the all spice use 1 heaping teaspoon .

Give everything a rough chop (after washing) as to make it easier for the blender or food processor to break down smooth. Remember you can add more of one ingredient if it’s a flavor you like. For me.. I like adding Bay Leaves as I find it compliments the Pimento Seeds (all spice), but many people won’t have it in their jerk marinade.

Add all the ingredients to the food processor.

I like to ‘pulse’ until I get the desired consistency and texture I like. I find that if you don’t pulse, you end up adding too much air to the finished marinade and it’s a bit frothy. It takes about 2-3 minutes.

If you do decide to add more honey than what’s mentioned in the ingredient list above, may I recommend you add it now (after your marinade comes out of the food processor).

This marinade will stay good in a clean container in the fridge for about a week. Or use immediately! Or you can double up on the recipe and freeze some. Pour into an ice cube tray until frozen, then pop into a freezer bag. whenever you need some, just thaw a few cubes and you’re golden!