Reggae Rum Jerk Seasoning...Ya Mon!!!

When I think Jamaica, I think of five things: reggae music (esp. Bob Marley), bobsledders, Red Stripe Beer, rum and jerk seasoning. If you haven’t had jerk then you haven’t tasted Jamaica!

Jerk is simply a process for spicing and grilling. Most people think of chicken when they hear “jerk”, but in reality you can also jerk other meats (beef, ostrich, buffalo), shellfish and vegetables.

There are thousands of different variations of jerk, but one thing is for sure, jerk is a key staple in Jamaican cuisine. I am willing to bet that every Jamaican has their own special family recipe for jerk that they will argue is the best.

I have seen variations of jerk recipes from a few ingredients to others with several dozen ingredients. I have also seen recipes with dried ingredients and other with fresh ingredients and still others with a mix of dry and fresh ingredients.

This recipe does use fresh ingredients so it will have a limited shelf life compared to dried ingredient versions. It is an easy recipe that requires very minimal effort to make. In fact, all you really need to do is measure the ingredients and let the food processor or blender do the rest of the work!

I particularly like this recipe because along with the traditional ingredients you would find in a jerk recipe, this one also incorporates rum as an ingredient, making it… well… even more Jamaican in my book!

Turn up the reggae, open yourself a cold Red Stripe and great ready for your taste buds to dance!

Ingredients:

• 5 small hot peppers (jalapeno preferred – can use other hotter if desired)
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• ¼ cup green onion/scallion tops, chopped (green part)
• 2 tbsp olive oil or canola oil
• 4 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp thyme, dried
• 1 tsp allspice, ground
• ½ tsp cinnamon, ground
• ¼ tsp nutmeg, ground
• 1 splash of flavorful rum (your choice)

Process: Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and mix on high for 15 pulses.

After thoughts: I have made this recipe traditionally with regular light or dark rum. It never occurred to me when cooking to try spiced or flavored rum like coconut or mango. If any one does try this, let me know how it turns out!