Admittedly, this jerk spice rub cheats on a few items. The allspice should be whole berries, the cinnamon
should be a stick, and the cloves should be whole (which they are, if you have
them). Those items would then be smashed, pounded, ground in a spice
mill—whatever it takes to create a granular rub to mix with the sugar, black
pepper, and cayenne. If you can go that route, I recommend it.
On the other hand, this recipe is all about getting good jerk flavor in
a simpler, more convenient way: store-bought ground spices. If you can, buy a
little bit at a time from the bulk section of your market rather than in cans
that sit on the shelf forever.
A fresh pineapple salsa kicks up the Caribbean pizazz even more. But
again, if fresh pineapple is not in season in your part of the world, go with
good-quality canned.
Note: You can
grill the skewers directly on the grill, but I really like the Japanese method
of grilling skewers on bricks, as described at Chicken Yakitori with Shiitakes and Scallions.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the
Chicken
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp whole cloves, crushed
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for rubbing
- 8 3-oz chicken tenders
- sea salt
Jerk Spices |
For the
Salsa
- 1 cup small-chopped fresh pineapple chunks
- 1/2 cup small-chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp fresh lime juice
- 1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Small-Chopped Pineapple |
Preparation
For the
Chicken
- Combine the first 6 ingredients (through cloves) in a small bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons of oil to form a thick slurry. Rub the spice slurry all over the chicken tenders, cover, and refrigerate 3-4 hours.
- Light a grill for medium-high heat. Wrap 2 bricks tightly in foil and place on the grill as noted in Chicken Yakitori with Shiitakes and Scallions.
- Season the chicken tenders with salt and thread 2 lengthwise on each of 4 skewers (soaked in water 30 minutes, if wood).
- Place the skewers on the bricks and grill the chicken, turning a few times, until lightly charred on all sides and cooked through, about 20 minutes total, depending on the thickness of the tenders.
Jerk Spice Slurry |
Jerk-Rubbed Chicken |
Skewered Chicken Tenders |
Skewers Beginning to Grill |
Grilled Skewers |
Transfer the skewers to a platter and serve the salsa (recipe follows)
in bowls alongside.
Grilled Jerk Chicken Skewers with Pineapple Salsa |
For the Salsa
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes (or cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours).
Pineapple Salsa |
I love your detailed directions - and I love jerk chicken! Thanks for sharing on the What's for Dinner link up!
ReplyDeleteCongrats! You have been chosen as a feature on the next Peace, Love, Linkup! Grab an "I was Featured" button and stop by tomorrow at 6 to share more great content! Hope to see you again!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ashleigh --- much appreciated!
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