Island BBQ Cooking Tip #1

BBQ can be so much more than a wood-smoked flavored tender piece of meat.

Tip #1: Let the seasoned meat marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours before cooking.

I observe so many amateur and professional cooks take a raw piece of meat from its original packaging, season and immediately throw on the grill or smoker. This may work OK with small cuts of meat like steaks, chicken breast cutlet, fish fillets and shrimp, but is a big no no for large cuts for which I recommend 4-24 hours. Even for small cuts, I recommend 30-60 minutes of marinating time for a flavor boost.

Is it Jerk?

Everyone seems to have "JERK" on their menu these days, reflecting the popularity of jerk and Jamaican culture. From fine dining to fast casual to your hole-in-the-wall Jamaican restaurant with a charcoal grill in the back yard, everyone is selling jerk. However, as we all know, all jerks (in the kitchen and in life) are not created equal.

So what is jerk?

Jerk has been described by many, as one of the World's true great culinary delights. I agree!

Jerk is Jamaican BBQ. The word jerk refers to the seasoning blend (wet or dry rub), the cooking method, and to the meat, poultry, seafood, and even vegetables that have been treated to the jerk seasoning and cooking processes (jerk pork and jerk chicken are the most popular items). The resulting food yields a spicy-sweet smoked flavor and a tender texture that is out of this world.

The seasoning blend varies significantly from restaurant to restaurant and pit master to grill novice, but the two key ingredients are scotch bonnet peppers and ground allspice (pimento). So, no badda call it jerk if it no hav dem two ingredients deh! Other popular ingredients are scallions, cooking oil, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, sugar, thyme, lime juice, soy sauce.

The cooking method varies significantly from restaurant to restaurant and pit master to grill novice, but the one key ingredient is a charcoal fire. So, no badda call it jerk if it no cook under, over or beside charcoal fire! Yeah, I'm talking to you folks cooking jerk in the oven, on a gas grill, in a pellet cooker, electric smoker or Southern Pride/Fast Eddy type smoker. The most authentic jerk uses charcoal made from pimento wood and a cooking grate made from small green pimento branches rather than iron or steel. Unfortunately these materials are not available for most of us. You can improvise a bit by making a foil smoke pouch of allspice berries or leaves.

As a jerk pit master always looking to learn, I typically try jerk and other forms of BBQ wherever I go - London, New York, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Cincinnati, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta, Malaysia, Nassau, Bahama Breeze, Golden Krust, Island Grill, Jerk Hut and Disney, Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and jerk and pan chicken all over the island of Jamaica (Portland, Boston, Mandeville, Ocho Rios, Kingston, Spice Grove, Negril, Montego Bay, and more).

Here are a few of my findings:

1. Jerk chicken tastes better chopped into bite sized pieces. Don't ask me why.
2. Great flavor is seasoned and cooked in, not added after.
3. If it is served with jerk gravy, order something else.
4. Gravy and BBQ sauce should be optional and only compliment the flavors, not be the key source of flavor.
5. I've yet to find an acceptable boneless, skinless jerk chicken breast (the most popular method on mainstream menus). Please leave the skin on.
6. Many restaurants, especially Jamaican owned, hide their seasoning or cooking method deficiencies with excess pepper. Who can taste anything when dem mouth bun off? My philosophy is "You can add heat, but your can't take it away. So keep the bottle of scotch bonnet pepper sauce on the side."
7. Many cuts of pork require a longer cooking time and skill than many cooks are willing to invest or possess. So many parboil and then finish on the grill. Yuk! Simply take the time to slow smoke or butterfly the meat such that it takes less time to cook.
8. You can jerk more than just chicken and pork. See one of my earlier posts.
9. Jerk is by far the best BBQ flavor profile.
10. Even "Jerk" entrees not prepared with the right seasoning or cooked the right way, can taste really, really good. But they are not "JERK." Enjoy them anyway.

This linked joke will give you an idea of the diversity of jerk cuisine on the market. CK Jerk Shack Gourmet Island BBQ is more like "Plate #8".

Eat jerk. Be happy, mon!

Started Offering My Cuisine at the Maitland, FL Farmers' Market

I started at the Maitland Farmers' Market this Sunday 9:00-2:00. It's a new market (less than 1 year) and this was the first Sunday at the new bigger and better location. Unfortunately, the venue appeared to be too small for me to safely manuever my large trailer, so I reluctantly decided to experiment with a tent operation and a simply no-cooking menu.

Take-Out
Chilled Island BBQ Shrimp Bags - $10 (approx. 1/2 pound - 15 peel n' eat shrimp

Take Home & Reheat
Oak-Smoked Jerk BBQ Pork Slabs - $12/lb
Oak-Smoked Jerk BBQ Beef Slabs - $14/lb
Oak-Smoked Jerk BBQ Baby Back Ribs - $15/lb

Items were cooked the evening before, quick chilled. weighed, packaged, priced and refrigerated. Then sold cold for reheating at home, with reheating instructions and catering coupon. Other Guava BBQ Sauce - 5.5 oz container - free with bulk meat purchase or $3 Jerk Wet Rub Scotch Bonnett Pepper Sauce.

Sales from my first outing were below my goals because the attendance wasn't that great, I didn't have the trailer with the great smells and ability to serve ready to eat meals/sandwiches, and most significantly, my slabs of meat were just too big and too expensive. While I did sell quite a few $30 slabs of meat, everyone wanted the $15 slabs and they went early. $15 to $20 is really the maximum recommended price point per item. By the time I decided to cut slabs if necessary, it was pretty much too late.

Bottom line: A tent operation is a lot more work for me and very limiting. The market has great potential. People really loved the free samples. Customers and vendors are a great group to work with and serve. Organizers are committed to making it a great market. And I'll be back next Sunday, and with my trailer. Turns out I can get a great end-cap position and stay on a hard surface. My menu will be a lot different next Sunday and I look forward to selling out.