JERK-STYLE COOKING:

Jerk-style cooking, like other types of barbequing, is really pretty easy. It just takes some patience. This section offers some tips for cooking "jerk-style" on an outdoor pit.

Let's take a look at some basic steps for making your own Jerk barbecue on a wood-fired pit. The process involves three basic steps:

  • Marinating the meat — The longer you marinate the meat with Shaggy's, the more flavor will be imparted to the meat, so plan to marinate for at least a day for good results. Two days is even better.
  • Getting the fire just right — It's easy to try to start cooking before the fire has matured. But it's important to build the fire up, and then let it die down slightly before putting the meat on the grill. This ensures a more consistent heat on which to cook. A fire that hasn't been allowed to die down slightly will cook the meat unevenly and too quickly.
  • Cooking the meat — Once the fire has matured, it's time to put the meat on. The important things here are placement and patience. Place the meat off to the side of the fire and close the lid on the pit. You want indirect heat for optimal cooking. Check the meat after about half an hour. If it's starting to brown on the bottom, you can turn it over; if not, let it cook for another half hour. Check the meat every half hour until the inside temperature is 170° for chicken and 165° for pork. It usually takes about 2 hours, give or take 15 minutes. The meat may actually be cooked before then, but what you really want is for all of the fat in the meat to render and soak through. This makes the meat more tender and juicy.

    • NOTE: If you cook it for too long, the meat will start to dry out.

Once the meat is done, take it off the pit and let it sit for about ten minutes. This cools the meat slightly and allows the flavor to set. If you're planning on eating your jerk at a later time, wrap the meat in aluminum foil and let it cool to room temperature before putting it into a freezer bag and refrigerating it.