As we kick off another edition of our annual “July Month of Grilling”, I thought I’d hit you with a recipe we first did in the oven during the early days of this website. However this time we’ll try to replicate that authentic pimento wood flavor as you’d normally get at jerk joints in Jamaica. Yes, it’s time for the Ultimate Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings. The marinade and technique can also be used on larger pieces of chicken with great success. But for now let’s rock some of the best chicken wings you’ll ever make/serve.

You’ll Need…

5 lbs chicken wings
2 limes
3-5 scallions
1/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1-2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 scotch bonnet peppers
1 med onion
3 cloves garlic
2 thick slices ginger
1 teaspoon allspice (+ add 8 berries)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
10 sprigs thyme

3/4 lb wood chips + tin foil + allspice berries (for the smoke pouch)

Important! If making this jerk marinade gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure it meets with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the soy sauce.. use a gluten free version please.

Give the garlic, onion, scallions and scotch bonnet peppers a rough chop, then place in your blender or food processor. Remember to wear gloves when handling the scotch bonnet peppers and wash your hands immediately after with soap and water. Additionally, you can leave out the seeds if you want to control the heat a bit. Add the juice of the limes along with everything else (except the chicken wings and stuff for the smoke pouch) into the food processor.

Instead of the sugar you can use honey, maple syrup or any of your fav sweetener. I like to pulse the food processor so I get a sort of chunky marinade at the end. However you can go as smooth as you like. This marinade will keep in the fridge for at least a week (in the event you want to make it in advance). I used a combination of allspice berries and powder (aka pimento).

Pour the marinade over the chicken wings (you can use a large zipper bag). Give it a good mix and place the fridge overnight. Feel free to mix it around if you remember during the night.

I like using my hands to work the marinade on the wings, but I’d recommend using gloves if you do. To help us achieve that lovely pimento smoke you expect to taste in good Jamaican Jerk, we’ll need to create a smoke pouch. I don’t have access to pimento wood, so I usually use a combination of (hard) fruit wood and pimento berries (see the video below). Soak the wood chips of your choice with the berries for a few hours in a bowl with water.

Remove the wings from the fridge about 30 minutes before you’re ready to grill. Using tin foil create a pouch with the wood and pimento berries. Seal and poke with a fork so you’ll have some holes for the smoke to escape and perfume the grill. I used a propane grill, but you can use a charcoal grill with better results.

I placed the smoke pouch directly over my flame, covered my grill and ensured I saw smoke before I got the wings on. After I saw smoke I turned my heat down to low. I have two levels on my grill so the wings went on the top rack and the smoke pouch directly below them. While they were directly above the heat source, they did’t get raw heat as the heat was low and the smoke pouch shielded them a bit. You’re free to grill these with indirect heat.

With the lid closed I kept the wings on the top level for about 35 minutes. Remember to move them around so they cook evenly. I then moved the pouch to the side and moved the wings to the lower level of my grill. To help them develop some color and fully cook over the direct heat. My heat was at about 325 F.

Here is where you MUST keep a close eye on the wings or they will burn. Slightly charred edges is perfect.. but NOT burnt. The sugars in the marinade will encourage it to burn fast. I kept them on the lower level for 10-15 minutes. It will depend on the size of the wings you use.

While I didn’t mention it in the video below, I’d recommend drizzling on some fresh lime or lemon juice just before you remove these jerk wings from the grill. It will help to brighten them up a bit with that kick of citrus. Feel free to add some water, beer or apple juice to the bag you marinated the wings in and use that to baste the wings as they grill. IMPORTANT! Remember the raw chicken was in that marinade, so stop using it to baste-on after about 25 minutes. You really need to cook out any rawness.

That smoke punch will make a huge difference and YES I really want you to marinate the wings overnight for maximum flavor.

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Ultimate Jerk Turkey + Simple Gluten Free Gravy.

May 27, 2025December 22, 2016Leave a Comment

“Chris we want ah Jerk Turkey recipe.. tired of boring oven roasted turkey” That was the DM I received on Twitter a couple weeks back.. even before I was thinking about doing this Christmas Special. I’m not a huge fan of turkey as I find the meat boring, especially when you think about the cost of it and the time it takes to get good results. My goal with this recipe is to show you how simple it is to make a tasty jerk oven roasted turkey, using a ‘cheap’ turkey and in much less time than the traditional method used for roasting turkey.

You’ll Need…

1 turkey (abt 12 lbs)
3 carrots
2 stalks celery
5-6 parsley stalks (optional)

Jerk Marinade
2 scotch bonnet pepper
1 medium onion
5-7 cloves garlic
2 shallots
10 sprigs thyme
5-7 scallions
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/2 cup citrus juice (I used fresh clementines)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1-2 tablespoon brown sugar
4 slices ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon allspice (aka ground pimento)

Gluten Free Turkey Gravy
– 3 cups chicken stock (gluten free)
– pan drippings (there was about a cup)
– 2 sprigs thyme (chopped)
– 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
– 1 tablespoon corn starch (potato or rice will also work)
– 2-3 tablespoon water
* adjust salt and black pepper if necessary

IMPORTANT! If doing this gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the soy sauce and chicken stock.

You may have to watch the video below to fully understand how to spatch-cock the turkey. Basically you have to remove the entire back bone, then press down on the breast to crack the bone so it sits flat (I usually make a cut on the inner part of the breast-bone to help achieve the flatness I require). I also trimmed off the wing tips. please save the back bone, wing tips and if the neck is included with the bird. Please note that I used a ‘utility’ turkey from Walmart. it’s pretty much the cheapest bird available as I wanted to show you that you DON’t need an expensive turkey (works great with more pricey birds as well). Be sure to choose one that not freezer burned, no blemishes and looks overall decent. Be sure to trim off excess fat and skin.

By removing the back bone (spatch cock) it will help the turkey cook MUCH faster in the oven as we’ll have more cooking surface. Give all the ingredients (for the marinade) a rough chop and place it all in your food processor or blender. Please pulse until you have a sort of chunky marinade. Wash your hands immediately after with soap and water after handling the scotch bonnet pepper – same for if you apply the marinade with your hands as I did.

Basically all you have to do now is massage the jerk marinade all over the bird. If you wanted you can also work it below the skin. Then cover and allow to marinate overnight or at least 4 hours. Before I placed the marinated turkey on the roasting tray I was using, I created a bed with chopped carrots, celery and some parsley. This way the turkey had some space below it to allow the heat to do it’s thing. I would also recommend that you line your roasting tray with tin foil or it will take some WORK to clean it after.

I then placed the pieces of clementines I juiced earlier for the marinade as well as the back bone and wing tips (for some reason the package didn’t have the turkey neck) on the roasting tray. As your oven comes up to 35 F, cover the roasting tray with tin foil (loosely over the breast so it doesn’t stick as it roast).

Place the marinated (covered) turkey into the oven (middle rack) and cook for an hour. After an hour remove and baste with the juices. Be VERY careful when removing it from the oven as it will generate a lot of juices and combined with the weight of the bird, it could potentially spill on you.

After another hour in the oven it’s time to remove once again baste it. The remove 90 % of the juices which formed, along with the back, neck and wing tips. Now back into the oven UNCOVERED!

Place the juices along with the back/neck/wing tips in a sauce pan, along with the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and allow to reduce by about 1/2. It’s then time to strain this and place back on the burner. Go in with the chopped thyme and parsley.. then thicken this gravy. Since we’re doing this gluten free, add the corn starch to the water (cold) and whisk. then into the pot with the gravy. Whisk, taste for salt (adjust) and thicken to your preference. Add a bit more corn starch if needed (you may also use potato or rice starch).

By now the turkey can come out of the oven fully cooked. By having it go the last 40-45 minutes uncovered, it will develop a wonderful color and really heighten the ‘jerk’ flavors. The cooking time will vary a bit according to the size of your turkey, plus your oven may give different results than mine. basically you want the thickest part of the turkey read 165 F on a meat thermometer. (Total cook time was 2 hrs 45 mins for me)

We achieved a few things with the jerk turkey. We took a cheap turkey and evenhanded it with the jerk marinade and at the same time we cooked it much faster than if you were roasting a whole bird.

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Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Tasty Jerk Pork In The Oven.

May 27, 2025December 2, 20161 Comment

As many of you may know, I’m obsessed with cooking on an outdoor fire/grill/BBQ, so during the winter months I’m always looking for ways to recreate those same flavors indoors. YES I do brave the harsh Canadian winters and make use of my propane grill in the garage, but when temps hit below -40 C (with the windchill), iman not going outside. This recipe is a sort of tribute to Canada and the flavors of fall, while still delivering a unique Jamaican Jerk element.

You’ll Need…

1 pork loin (7-8lbs)
1 cup apple cider
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 scallions
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
5-10 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 habanero pepper
1 large onion
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 large apples

1 cup bbq sauce (jerk or your fav)

Note: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the soy sauce. I usually use a homemade jerk bbq sauce which I shared on this website a while back, but this time I simply opted for my fav store-bough sauce.

Place all the ingredients (except the pork, apples and bbq sauce) in a blender (you may need to give everything a rough chop) and pulse. You can go with a smooth puree or leave it a bit chunky for a bit more texture.

The apple cider, habanero peppers (grown in my garden) as well as the pure (organic) Maple Syrup are the flavors of Canada I mentioned above (along with the apples I got at an orchard) . Trim, wash and pat the pork loin (NOT tenderloin) dry and place in a dish or large/strong zipper bag. Now pour all of the marinade over it and massage well. Cover and place in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours. I purposely left the sort of cap of fat on the loin I was using as it will help to keep the pork moist as the fat renders while roasting in the oven. Place the fat side up when roasting.

The next day pre-heat your oven to 375 F while you get the roasting pan ready. Cut the apples in 1/4’s and place on the bottom of the roasting pan, then add the marinated pork loin. Now pour all the marinade over it and place in the oven – middle rack.

Roast uncovered for 2 1/2 hrs, but be sure to baste every 20-30 minutes or so. Then cover with tinfoil and cook another hour at the same temperature.

Now it’s time to take it out of the oven and spoon out 90% off the liquid into a sauce pan. Place the pork loin uncovered in the oven for another 30-35 minutes to develop that rich caramelized color and taste. Do keep basting with the little liquid we left back.

Bring the liquid in the saucepan to a boil, add the BBQ sauce (your fav), then reduce to a simmer. We’re now trying to reduce this by half, to intensify the flavors and thicken it up a bit. It took about 30 minutes. By which time the pork can now come out of the oven. Rest it for about 20-25 minutes before cutting into it.

You can make an apple sauce out of the cooked apples, but I couldn’t be bothered. Those apples infused wonderful fruity flavors into this oven jerk pork and an amazing aroma throughout my house (basically it served it’s purpose). This jerk pork done in the oven with those subtle Canadian flavors will be another one of those recipes I share which will become a regular in your household.

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Meat & Poultry

Jerk Pulled Pork Recipe.

May 27, 2025May 24, 20165 Comments

We’ll not be using the traditional method of making classic Jamaican jerk pork as I know how difficult it is to get pimento wood and during the winter months in temperate countries, your oven or slow cooker tends to be our best friend. We’ll take classic jerk spices and flavor ingredients and marinate the pork shoulder before slowing roasting it in the oven, until fork tender. Then we’ll toss it in your fav jerk BBQ sauce, for what I believe is the best pulled pork.

You’ll Need…

A teaspoon each of:
– ground ginger
– all spice
– cinnamon
– pimenton (hot smoky paprika)
– nutmeg
– salt (adjust to your liking)
– dry mustard
– crushed pepper flakes
– dehydrated onion
2 tablespoon brown sugar (light)

1 cup orange juice
2-4 scallions
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 scotch bonnet pepper
* liquid smoke if you like that stuff

5-8 lbs pork (cheap cut)
1 1/2 – 2 cups jerk bbq sauce

Note: I used a cheap cut of pork, with a bone and skin/fat.

Put all the spices (dry rub) in a bowl and give it a mix with a spoon. Use the back of the spoon to gently crush everything to help release the true flavors. Wash and pat the piece of pork dry, then cover with the dry rub. Massage well, put in your oven proof dish and cover with tin foil. Allow this to marinate overnight in your fridge or at least a couple hours.

As you oven comes up to temperature – 300F, take the pork out of the fridge to come back to room temperature. Pour in the orange juice, chopped scallions, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper. I used a whole pepper, including the seeds as jerk pork is supposed to be a bit spicy. but feel free to adjust to your own heat tolerance. You can add a bit of liquid smoke if you wish as well. Cover back with the tin foil and place it on the middle rack. Allow it to go for 3 hours.

Remove the tin foil, baste it with some of the juices and back in the oven uncovered for another 2 hours. After the 5 hours of the slow cooking in the oven it should be fully cooked (falling apart and easy to shred). Remove the cooked pork from the baking dish and set aside to cool enough so you can easily handle it. Remove the stems of the thyme from the baking dish, add your favorite jerk bbq sauce and whisk together with the pan juices. Please reserve 1/3 of the resulting sauce and set aside for later.

You can use two forks to shred the pork, but I much prefer using my fingers, so I can remove all the pieces of fat and skin (discard).

Your oven should still be on. Mix the shredded jerk pork in the sauce and place back in the oven to heat through for another 10-15 minutes.

The reserved sauce will be used to top your sandwiches! This jerk pulled pork will be packed with wicked island flavors, tender and overall moist from the way we finished it with a good dose of the sauce. I’m sure this will work great in a slow cooker or on your smoker/grill during the summer months (with a bit of tweaking).

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Gluten Free Jerk Marinade (for Chicken, Pork, Shrimp and Fish)

May 27, 2025July 28, 2015Leave a Comment

Over the years I’ve shared countless recipes for making jerk marinades, sauces, how to make finger-licking Jamaican jerk in the oven and classic jerk on your grill and bbq. As we continue our annual July Month Of Grilling I thought I’d shift focus and share a gluten friendly version of a classic Jamaican jerk marinade for our friends who deal with gluten intolerance. A jerk marinade which goes well with fish, shrimp, pork and in this case, some chicken legs which we’ll marinate before slowly cooking them over a moderate coals-fire in the back yard.

You’ll Need…

8 lbs chicken legs.

For the gluten free jerk marinade…

4 scallions
1 orange (juice)
1 lime (juice)
1/2 cup vinegar (white)
8-10 sprigs thyme
2 scotch bonnet peppers
4 slices ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8-12 pimento berries (allspice)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic

NOTE: It’s important that you go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs – especially the Soy Sauce.

You’ll need a food processor or blender for making this marinade… or some knife skills as you’ll need to finely chop everything. Remember when handling scotch bonnet peppers to wear gloves and to wash your hands immediately after with soap and water. The “raw” heat will be in the seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds, so trim and discard that area if your worried about such heat. Give everything a rough chop and place it in the food processor (or blender).

Here you have two options, you can puree until smooth, or do as I like – pulse so you get a sort of chunky consistency. You can now pour this over your desired protein or store it in a the fridge until you’re ready to use it. It will remain good for up to a week. The vinegar will act as a natural preservative.

In my case I was doing chicken legs with it, so I trimmed off all the fat and excess skin. You can remove the skin, but I like leaving the skin as it adds flavor as it cook and renders and it also helps to form a protective barrier as the chicken cooks so it does not go dry. I also like piercing the thick parts of the chicken so the marinade gets into the meat and really infuse it with maximum niceness. Pour in the marinade and massage the chicken pieces. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hrs in the fridge – overnight would be ideal. Then get ready to grill as you would normally.

I had a relatively hot fire going, so I placed the chicken pieces away from the direct heat (indirect grilling), lid on and allowed it to go until it was cooked to my likeness (about 50 mins to 1 hr). I used the remaining marinade in the bowl to baste it the first 30 minutes or so – remember raw chicken was in the bowl, so try to cook off the marinade. Flip the chicken pieces every 10 minutes or so and rotate around the grilling surface so you grill them evenly.

The final 5 minutes is when you can place the chicken pieces over the direct heat to allow for that sort of caramelized color you want to achieve – that comes from the heat and cooked sugars in the marinade. Remember if you put the chicken pieces too early over the direct heat, those same sugars will char or burn the outside of the chicken and the inside will be raw.

If you want, you can double the marinade recipe and reserve 1/2. That remaining 1/2 add a bit of honey, orange juice or apple and cook/reduce for a wicked sauce to serve with the cooked pieces of jerk chicken.

I like squeezing on some fresh lime juice as soon as I take it off the grill for that little blast of citrus, which I think awakens the jerk chicken even more. just my take though!

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Simple Oven Jerk Chicken For Students And Busy People.

May 27, 2025April 22, 20156 Comments

With the busy lifestyle we tend to live and the fact that more and more students are now reaching out for recipes, I figured I’d share this sort of hack or cheat’s way of doing amazing jerk chicken in the oven. Yes, traditionalists will say that you need, smoke, fire and the goodness from pimento wood to really make it “jerk” but when you don’t have access to such, you improvise. In under 1 hr I’ll have you eating the most juicy, flavorful and tender oven jerk chicken you’ve ever had. No Lie! Even your Jamaican friends will be asking you for the recipe when you serve this up at that dinner party you’ve been meaning to have.

You’ll Need…

1 1/2 cups jerk marinade (your fav store bought)
1 cup orange juice
3 scallions
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 teaspoon grated ginger (optional)
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 medium onions

4 lbs chicken

IMPORTANT! If you’re doing this jerk chicken according to a gluten free diet, do pay attention to the store-bought jerk marinade as it may contain soy sauce and other ingredients which may not fit with your gluten free dietary needs. There are gluten free jerk marinades you can now purchase or you can make your own marinade.

You can certainly make your own jerk marinade, but it does take time and require a few more ingredients than what’s listed above. Remember this jerk chicken is supposed to be fast, but not hurt for flavors. So go with your favorite store-bought marinade, but lets elevate it a bit with some additional freshness and flavor.

Chop the scallions, thyme, onion and scotch bonnet pepper. Use as much pepper as you can handle and remember to help control the heat a bit, don’t use any of the seeds. Do wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers. Grate the ginger and get ready to assemble the marinade. Pour the everything a bowl and whisk well.

Trim off any fat and excess skin off the chicken pieces (I used legs with the thighs attached), but do keep most of the skin as it will roast and give it a good color and some wonderful flavor. Since this is a fast-cook, we don’t have time to really marinate the chicken so lets go ahead and make a couple deep cuts down to the bone of the chicken (thick part).

Now pour the marinade all over the chicken and mix well.

Line an oven proof baking dish (I didn’t and it’s a lot of clean-up work after) with tin foil and pour everything into it. Set your oven at 400F and place on the middle rack when it comes to temp. After 30 mins, remove and flip the pieces of chicken, then back int he oven for another 10 minutes. So 40 minutes in total.

After 40 minutes it’s time to crank the heat up to give the chicken some color and really make it attractive. So set the oven at broil (525F), but do keep an eye on things as it will be easy to have it burn at this point. It will take about 4-7 minutes to take on a delicious colour. Remember to flip so you get even coloring. I must mention that most commercial jerk marinades are high in sodium so you’ll notice that I didn’t add any salt, but you can certainty add a bit of salt if you wish. If you wish you can also go with half orange juice and half pineapple juice in the marinade for a more fruity finish.

In under one hour you’ll have what I guarantee is an amazing Jamaican Jerk Chicken dish! And that gravy will be delightful on some rice and peas.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Mango Coconut Shado Beni (cilantro) Grilled Chicken.

May 27, 2025July 1, 20143 Comments

I’m always excited when this time of the year comes around, especially after such a harsh and bitter winter. I LOVE cooking on an open flame, so the annual “July’s Month Of Grilling” is when you’ll see another level of energy come out in me (watch my videos). In this recipe we’ll take key Caribbean ingredients, such as mango, coconut milk, ginger, honey, limes, fresh herbs and scotch bonnet pepper to make an exciting marinade for chicken, pork and fish.

You’ll Need…

3 chicken breasts (boneless | about 2.5 – 3 lbs)

1 large mango (diced)
1/2 cup chopped shado beni (or 1 cup cilantro)
2 scallions
2 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon grated ginger
4 cloves garlic
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 limes (juice)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)
2 tablespoon honey
1 cup water (divided – half for blending marinade and 1/2 for cooking marinade)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Please ensure the ingredients meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs if doing this recipe fully gluten free.

The key to this Caribbean style grilled chicken recipe is the marinade, so let’s get started. In a food processor or blender, place all the ingredients until you have a smooth consistency. Then wash and pat the chicken pieces dry. I used skinless|boneless chicken breasts, but you can use an chicken pieces you like (adjust to cooking time). This recipe can do between 5-8 lbs of chicken easily.

Place the chicken pieces in a bowl (or large zipper lock bag) and pour in half of the marinade and mix well to coat the entire chicken breasts. Seal and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best). Save the other half of marinade.

Now it’s time to grill. Basically grill the chicken as you’d normally do. In my case I placed the remaining marinade in a metal container and placed it on the flame to heat up. With my grill at about 375 -400 F and with low flame directly under the chicken and higher flame on the side (3 burners on my grill), I grilled the chicken for about 20-25 minutes. Remember to flip so they cook evenly. The last 3-5 minutes, I basted the chicken pieces with the extra (hot) marinade so the chicken breasts did go dry. It also added even more flavor as the sugars in the marinade caramelized with the open flame. (do discard the marinade the chicken pieces were sitting in)

You’ll notice that I was a bit stingy with the salt as I’m trying to cut back on my sodium intake, so do adjust accordingly. I squeezed on some fresh lemon juice while the chicken pieces were still warm (do serve warm) for a citrus finish. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling scotch bonnet peppers and don’t include any seeds as it will take the heat level up.

Gluten Free Seafood

Simple Oven Jerk Fish Recipe.

November 8, 2014April 14, 20149 Comments

With Easter around the corner I’ve had several requests for fish recipes, so I thought I’d share a simple technique for making Jamaican style jerk snapper (fish), but with store bought jerk marinade and in your oven. I agree that making your own jerk marinade is much better and using a grill with coals and pimento wood is what true Jamaican jerk is all about. However this is all about convenience and exciting flavors.

You’ll Need…

2-4 lbs Red Snapper
1/2 lime or lemon (for washing the fish)
1 heaping tablespoon of jerk marinade (use gluten free for the gluten free version)
1 tablespoon orange juice
pinch salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon veg oil

* Use your favorite store purchased jerk marinade.

Scale, trim (gut) and wash the fish with the juice of 1/2 lime or lemon.. rinse with cool water and pat dry. Cut two slits on the back (both sides) of each fish to allow for the jerk marinade to penetrate and do all-kinda good things. Stuff the cavity of each fish with a bit of thyme and scallions (bruise or crush with your knife to release the flavors) and sprinkle a bit of salt and black pepper.

In a small bowl mix the jerk marinade (use your fav) and orange juice, then brush it onto both sides of each fish. Try to get some in the cuts we made. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the fridge for about 1/2 hour (max 1 hr as the marinade will start to cook the fish after that).

Now preheat your oven to 400 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Drizzle on the veg oil so the fish won’t stick as it does it’s thing in the oven. Set the baking tray on the middle rack in your oven and let it go for about 15 minutes. Then flip over and cook for another 8-10 minutes. This depends on how thick your fish are and how well done you like your fish.

There you go, a simple but exciting jerk fish done in your oven.. no need for an outdoor grill. Remember if you’re serving this to kids be mindful of the bones of the fish. If you decide to use fish fillets, try to get some with the skin still on and reduce the cooking time (again, depending on the thickness of the fillets) by about 1/2.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. Oh yea! Leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated! Important, do read the label of the jerk marinade you use to ensure it meets with your gluten free dietary needs.

Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Oven Roasted Pork.

May 27, 2025February 11, 201320 Comments

There’s nothing quite like the aroma of roasting meat in the oven, especially when you have that eager anticipation of a lovely dinner. Though over the years I’ve modified this recipe from it’s original beginnings (our mom’s recipe) , it really one which I’m very proud and excited to share. As with the other recipes in the “ultimate” series, you’ll find that this roasted pork will be an instant hit with your family and friends. And if by chance you have any left the following morning, don’t hesitate in making up a sandwich or two… you’ll be counting down the lunch hr at work.

You’ll Need..

4 lbs Pork *
1 cup orange juice
1 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
thick slice of ginger (about 1-2 tablespoon)
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 large onion
3 scallions
1 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10 pimento berries (allspice)
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Notes: Do try to get a piece of pork which is not overly lean. With some fat or marbling, you’ll have a much more tender and juicy roasted pork. If you want to control the heat, don’t include any of the seeds or white membrane surrounding the seeds from the scotch bonnet pepper. At first you may think this is overly spicy, but the other flavors we add will help balance things.. trust me!

First up we must make the marinade so we can infuse this lovely piece of pork with some wicked flavors. Give the scallion, thyme, onion, garlic, ginger and scotch bonnet pepper a rough chop, then place everything (except the pork) into a food processor (or blender) and puree for a minute or two. If you don’t have a blender or food processor, chop everything mentioned above very finely and mix in the other ingredients.

Wash and pat dry the pork, then place it in a deep bowl (or large zip lock bag) and pour the marinade over it. Give it a good toss, cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge to marinate for a couple hours (at least).

Place the well seasoned pork into a roasting pan (with a cover) and pour in all the marinade into the pan as well. Set your oven at 400F and place on the middle rack for 1 hour. After 1 hr, flip to the other side and go for another hour. Be sure to baste the pork as it roast with the marinade at the bottom of the pan.

After 2 hours, remove the lid and roast for another 15 minutes to give it some lovely colour and to reduce the gravy at the bottom of the pan. Remember to spoon some of that gravy over the pork as it roasts. I like my pork well done, but you can certainly tailor it to your liking. You’re looking for an internal temp of 160 F.

You would have noticed that I didn’t add any salt to this, that’s because I found that the soy sauce gave it all the salt I needed. But I’m sure you may want to add about a 1/2 teaspoon or so.. to your liking. The orange juice wasn’t fresh squeezed if you’re wondering. Cover and allow to rest about 15 minutes before slicing through. The gravy at the bottom of the pan will be outstanding, so don’t you dare toss that out. There’s enough here to feed between 5-7 people.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Meat & Poultry

Jerk Pork Sliders

May 27, 2025September 12, 20124 Comments

Traditionalists can be very picky when it comes to any food labelled as being ‘jerked’, as they feel any jerked meat must be done over pimento wood. Though I agree that there’s the unique taste from the smoke off the pimento wood… but when you can’t source the actual pimento wood you must rely on a bold jerk marinade to help achieve maximum flavor. These jerk pork sliders are guaranteed to excite your taste buds with the brightness of the scotch bonnet pepper and the earthy goodness of the all spice, cinnamon and nutmeg. But it doesn’t end there… take a look at the ingredient list below and you’ll see how we do it in the Caribbean to achieve the perfect jerk pork sliders.

You’ll Need…

1/2 scotch bonnet (seeded and chopped)
1 scallion
2 sprigs thyme
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 lb ground pork
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger

Notes: You can use a habanero pepper if you can’t source scotch bonnet peppers or your fav hot pepper (if all fails use some hot sauce for the kick). You can also use ground chicken, beef or turkey if you don’t dine with the swine.

You’ll need a food processor or blender (or chop as fine as you can), but first give the scallion, scotch bonnet pepper and the thyme a rough chop. Then add all your ingredients (except the ground pork) into the blender and work it until you have a smooth consistency. If the stalk of the thyme is not tender, remember to remove the little leaves off the woody stalk and discard. If you blend any woody stalk it will not break down all the way and you can have a potential choking hazard.

Place the ground pork in a deep bowl and pour the marinade over it. Using your hands (or spoon) work everything until it’s well incorporated. Here’s a trick to help shape the jerk pork sliders to fit evenly on your bun. Place a sheet of cling wrap on a flat surface, then make a log with the now seasoned meat on the wrap. Try to shape it about 1/4 inch bigger (circumference) than the size of your bun as it will shrink as it grills. Now roll and shape as you do with the cling wrap until you have a sort of thick sausage. Seal the ends and place in the freezer to set. It may take a couple hours.

In the meantime I prepared a Caribbean salsa to top my jerk pork sliders. Basically avocado, tomato, mango, cilantro, sea salt, black pepper, red onion and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (add a little organic honey if you have as well).

After the roll is firm, slice it with a sharp knife into the thickness you want (wet your knife for easier slicing). All you have to do now is grill on a hot grill as you would normally grill burgers. Since this is pork I like grilling slow, but until it’s fully cooked all the way through.I’m sure you can cook these in a frying pan on the stove top as well.

In my haste to get my dinner on, I totally forgot to toast the buns for that extra “bang”. But all you have to do now is place one of these jerk pork patties on your toasted bun, top with that beautiful Caribbean salsa and enjoy! There’s no need for any other condiments as the salsa will have that rich creaminess from the ripe avocado and the pieces of ripe mango will explode in your mouth with every bite.

These jerk pork sliders will be an absolute hit at your next BBQ as people as drawn to sliders in general, but with the unique punch of the jerk marinade we infused the ground meat with before grilling, will have friends and family begging you for the recipe. Remember when using the scotch bonnet pepper to wear gloves, wash your hands immediately after with soap and don’t include any seeds if you’re concerned about raw heat.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Meat & Poultry

Classic Jerk Chicken Wings In the Oven.

May 27, 2025October 10, 201166 Comments

Some of you will be saying “Chris this is just your original jerk marinade scaled down”, but with Tehya in the kitchen with me… I had to do this from scratch for her. This chile keeps having craving for spicy food, so this time when she came to me to make up a batch of jerk wings for her, I told her it’s time she learned how to organize it herself. You can see her in action in the jerk chicken wings video I posted late last night on the food channel.

I must mention that there’s no comparison to making this over coals on a grill, but with winter approaching I wanted to give you guys the option to be able to do this in the oven indoors. Now don’t get me wrong… no winter will ever stop me from grilling on the BBQ as I have no problem dressing like Sasquatch and taking on the cold to do my thing on the BBQ outside.

You’ll Need…

2 scallions (green onions)
5 sprigs of fresh thyme (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Habanero pepper (scotch bonnet or any that you like)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 onion
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cloves garlic

3 lbs chicken wings.

The first thing we have to do is make the jerk marinade. Give the onion, garlic, hot pepper and scallions a rough chop so it’s easier for the blender or food processor to work it into the runny consistency we’ll need. Remember to wear gloves when working with peppers with extreme heat like habanero and scotch bonnet.

Basically all we need to do now is pour everything into the food processor and give it a few pulses until you get a sort of smooth (runny) consistency.

* If you don’t have access to a food processor or blender, you can certainly chop everything as fine as you can and give it all a good mix in a bowl.

We then washed the chicken wings with some lemon juice (you can use lime or vinegar as well – about 3-4 tablespoons) and rinsed with cool water and drain. Pat dry with paper towels so the marinade can really stick onto the wings. Pour 1/3 of the marinade on the wings and using your hands, massage the wings with this lovely jerk marinade. Allow this to marinate for at least 30 minutes, before you place it into a 400 degree oven (middle rack).

After 30 minutes we took it out of the oven to give it a good stir (flip wings) and put back for another 30 minutes.

The last 5 minutes you can turn on the broiler setting and allow the wings to get a rich brown color with a sort of toasted edges. You may have to give them a flip to ensure all sides gets this lovely sort of charred look.

You will notice there will be a sort of gravy formed at the bottom, this is excellent to pour over peas and rice to accompany these jerk chicken wings.

Tips: Line your baking dish with aluminum foil or use a disposable pan when roasting these in the oven as I did (it will make clean-up much easier). Add some brown sugar and fresh ginger to the marinade for that extra kick of flavor. Remember that most of the heat in peppers are in the seeds and area around the seeds. So if you want to cut back on the heat level, remove the seeds.

To make dry wings, simply place the wings on a wire rack over your baking dish after the wings have been marinating. This will give you crispy wings which will be packed with a good punch of Jamaican jerk goodness.

Tehya was quite happy with the final outcome of her first jerk chicken wings and though she was a bit hesitant to use the large chef’s knife to chop the onions etc.. she was very proud of her accomplishment. In future videos/recipes I’ll try to include Indy and Kieana so you guys can get to know them better and they can learn how to cook so they too can carry on our culinary traditions. It’s time we got our children involved in the kitchen and away from all the other distractions (video games, computer, cell phones.. boys!)

Before I forget… the remaining jerk marinade can be stored in a plastic bowl in the fridge for at least a week or frozen for a couple months.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Jerk Pork Recipe.

May 27, 2025June 13, 2011179 Comments

jamaican jerk pork (8)

Today we’ll induct yet another dish into the series “The Ultimate” (keyword search ‘ultimate’ in the search box – top right of this page for more recipes in the series). This time we’re doing one of those classic Jamaican dishes… Jerk Pork. The first time I made this dish was about 5 years ago when our friends were getting married and they were having the stag / doe and asked for us to bring along a dish. Since then, we’ve only heard good things from the many guests who were there that night. This weekend being Tehya’s birthday and knowing that my mom is a fan of jerk pork, I thought it would be perfect for the bbq we were having.

If you read the piece I did titled Jamaica One Plate At A Time, you’ll know that I went in hunt of the perfect jerk while we were in Jamaica and found (more like stumbled.. stretch our legs and use the bathroom) a spot called “Supreme Jerk Center” on our way to Negril from Montego Bay. The fella doing the jerk had some skills. Not only was the pork perfectly cooked over the open coals, but we could tell that he allowed the meat to marinate for quite some time. As the pork was infused with that authentic jerk flavor and the smoky taste from the pimento wood was divine. Though I don’t have the use of the open coals, I’m positive that my jerk pork could easily rival his.

For this recipe you’ll need to refer to the jerk marinade recipe I shared with you a few months ago or see below for quick instructions. If you don’t feel like making your own marinade, check out the selection of Jamaican Jerk Marinade and BBQ Sauces you can purchase.

You’ll Need…

Jerk Marinade

5 scallions (green onions)
5 sprigs of fresh thyme (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 scotch bonnet peppers
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 onion
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger

* Basically all you have to do is give everything a rough chop and place in a food processor or blender as I did and pulse until you get a smooth consistency.

Then you’ll need…

1 boneless pork loin (about 7-8lbs)
2 cups of the jerk marinade

Let’s get started. Give the pork loin a good rinse under cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Then place the pork in a large dish/pan and using a pairing knife, make some stabs into the meat (about 1 inch deep). This will help in the marinating process. This step will get a bit messy, so using gloves may come in handy. Remember we used scotch bonnet peppers in the marinade so you may find that your bare hands may catch on fire! Pour 1 cup of the jerk marinade over the pork loin, then using your hands, massage and work it well. You can certainly bush the marinade on, but I much prefer to work this with my hands. Now cover and leave to marinate for at least 5 hours in the fridge.

jerk pork recipe

jamaican jerk pork (2)

Take the pork out of the fridge about 25 minutes before you start to grill, to allow it to come back to room temperature. I’m using a gas grill to cook this but if you have a wood or coal burning grill, do your thing. Basically you want to bring the temperature of the grill to about 300 degrees and brush the grate with some vegetable oil. All you do is take tongs, grab a piece of paper towel and dip it into a bowl with vegetable oil an brush the grill.

The goal is to slow cook this so you have 2 options. Grill on the top level grill or sort of warming rack (as I did) or grill with indirect heat. The flame would be on one corner of the grill surface and the meat on the other. This way you don’t get direct contact with the meat and flame/heat.

Basically all you’re doing for the next 2.5 to 3 hours is basting every 20 minutes and turning over when you do, so the meat cook evenly. When you removed the pork loin from marinating, do save the left over marinade and add a further cup, to use for basting during the cooking process.

jamaican jerk pork (3)

jamaican jerk pork (4)

jamaican jerk pork (5)

jamaican jerk pork (6)

jamaican jerk pork (7)

jamaican jerk pork (8)

When I purchased my pork loin I looked for a piece with a thin layer of fat. This allows the meat to basically self-baste while cooking… so you don’t get an overly dry finished dish as the loin is usually very lean. Remember to try to maintain the 300 degrees, keep the lid on the grill closed and brush on marinade every 20 minutes or so. You will notice that it will start going dark and have a sort of burned look, but this natural. It’s just all the sugars doing it’s caramelizing thing. Good jerk is supposed to have that sort of colour… but remember – no direct heat or it will become burnt!

jamaican jerk pork

Do allow this to rest a bit before slicing, so some of the natural juices are allowed relax the jerked pork loin. We had over 25 people here and I still had enough to pack a doggie bag for my parents when they left. But we did have many others dishes as well. Conservatively, this is enough for about 10-15 people as a main meat side..

IMPORTANT: Be sure to use a gluten free soy sauce to meet with your gluten free dietary needs when doing this jerk pork recipe.

— Winner Wanted!—

It’s that time again – we’re giving away the following book (see below) to one lucky person for the month of June. All you have to do is leave me a comment in the comments section below (please say something about this recipe) and your name will be automatically entered to win this amazing book on organic gardening and cooking with herbs, vegetables and fruits.

cookbook giveaway

Yea! Not your typical Caribbean book, but a wonderful way to learn about organic gardening and cooking. Focusing on plants that are easy to grow, Adam Caplin takes an illuminating new look at the delights and challenges of cultivating edibles, showing how they can be grown – on their own in beds and containers, in mixed borders, and decoratively with flowers – for their ornamental as well as their nutritional value. Celia Brooks Brown presents 35 mouthwatering vegetarian recipes – for soups and starters, main courses, salads and light dishes, salsas and chutneys, and sweet things. This book features glorious photography by Caroline Hughes and William Shaw.

There are two bonus ways you can have your name entered in the contest, giving you 3 chances at winning. Along with leaving a comment below, go to the Facebook fan page and/or the Youtube cooking channel and leave a comment there. I don’t care what your comment is, but it would be nice if you could tell me what you like about Caribbean food and if the recipes I share are helpful.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning the copy of “New Kitchen Garden”…

– contest is open to everyone globally

– there are 3 ways to enter your name (see above)

– 1 winner will be chosen at random (if you left 3 comments, your name will be entered 3 times)

– contest is open from June 13 – to midnight June 30.

– winner will be announced within 1 week of the official close date.

– the winner will have 1 week to contact us with mailing address

– we will cover all shipping expenses (standard mail)

I hope you take a moment to enter your name as I’d really like to mail this book out to you. It’s simple, free and a great way to experiment with some organic gardening and cooking. Good luck to everyone who enters.

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Oye! before you go… Remember you can watch the cooking videos on the recipe channel and we’d love to interact with you on our Facebook fan page. There’s a few thousand of us already causing commesse on there… so do check it out.

jerk marinade

The Ultimate Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings.

Ultimate Jerk Turkey + Simple Gluten Free Gravy.

Tasty Jerk Pork In The Oven.

Jerk Pulled Pork Recipe.

Gluten Free Jerk Marinade (for Chicken, Pork, Shrimp and Fish)

Simple Oven Jerk Chicken For Students And Busy People.

Mango Coconut Shado Beni (cilantro) Grilled Chicken.

Simple Oven Jerk Fish Recipe.

The Ultimate Oven Roasted Pork.

Jerk Pork Sliders

Classic Jerk Chicken Wings In the Oven.

The Ultimate Jerk Pork Recipe.

You’ll Need…

Then you’ll need…

— Winner Wanted!—

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