Where's the Jerk?

After I got the pigs I had to find a source of fruit and vegetables to feed them.  Ideally I wanted organic but there is no one growing or selling locally.  I found a vegetable shop in the nearby town delighted to give me slightly old produce.  A lot of the stuff is a bit shook but some of it is surprisingly good.

Pigs are not keen on onions and I had been fishing them out and putting them aside if they were ok.  Then the other day I rooted in the crate and found a load of chillies.  There were some beyond use but lots were perfect.  Anything too rotten to feed to the pigs goes into my compost. 

I made Jamie Oliver's recipe for Jerk seasoning a couple of years ago.  We made a huge jar and promptly forgot about it.  It was in at the back of the fridge.  After about a year I remembered it.  It was still perfect and had mellowed and was no longer breathtakingly fiery.  I had used Scotch Bonnets and when I tasted it initially I didn't like it at all.  After the long storage it had completely changed character and was fantastic with pork, ham hocks and chicken.

I modified the recipe slightly as the chillies I had got for free were the ones pictured.  They are not as fiery as Scotch Bonnets but they still have a bit of kick.

Ingredients                                                                                                
a good big handful of chillies (equivalent to about 4 packs you buy in supermarket)
4 red onions
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon each of nutmeg, ground cloves, cinnamon and all spice.
a sprig of thyme
4 bay leaves
salt and pepper
5 tablespoons vinegar
5 tablespoons rum

Blitz everything in a food processor except the bay leaves.  Transfer into clean dry jars and store in fridge for as long as you can.  The above quantity made 3 jars.

To use marinate the pork or chicken for a couple of hours with the jerk and then as it cooks continue to baste the meat with it.  If cooking ham hocks boil until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.  Remove, allow to dry and then coat them in the jerk and roast in a hot oven until crusty and browned.

Jamie Oliver   Jerk Seasoning  Scotch Bonnets  Chillies  Ham Hocks  Food  Recipes