Jerk Pork Recipe

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Jerk Pork Recipe

When I think of Jerk, I think of the Caribbean. Some of the best jerk chicken, jerk pork, and even fish can be found at little shacks right on the beach.

This recipe is my version of Jerk Pork and it uses the sweet flavors combined with spicy pepper to create an island treat.

In Jamaica most Jerk is made on homemade grills – think of 55 gallon drums turned sideways. It’s a simple way of cooking using burnt down pimento wood as fuel and whatever meat that’s available. The star of the show is the ingredients used to create the jerk flavor. You can make a wet marinade or use dry ingredients which is what I went for on this cook.

For the pork I bought an 8lb Boston butt and had it cut it into thirds creating 3 thick pork roasts. Season each side of the pork roasts with a good dose of Jerk Rub. You can use any Jerk Rub, but I use Malcom’s Jammin’ Jerk Rub. Let the meat hang out for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking but overnight would be even better.

Now it’s time to fire up the smoker. You can use any bbq grill or smoker for this recipe; just set it up for indirect cooking at 275⁰. I’m firing up my Gateway drum and since I don’t have pimento wood, I’m going with a little GrilleWood.com Hickory for smoke flavor. (use your favorite wood)

Once the pit hits 275 it’s time to start cooking. Place the pork on the cooking grate and let the smoke roll for about 3 hours. You want to turn the meat every hour to keep it cooking even on all sides.

When the outer bark starts to turn a dark, remove the pork from the smoker and wrap each piece individually in aluminum foil. Return the meat to the pit and continue to cook until tender.

It’ll take just over an hour. You can monitor the internal temperature if you want; it should be about 195⁰ when it’s done. At this point remove the pork from the grill, unwrap the pork, and hit with a good glaze of Jerk Sauce (recipe below).

Jerk Sauce

• 2 Tablespoon Butter
• 2 Green Onions chopped fine (white parts only)
• 2 Cloves Garlic minced
• 1 Cup Pineapple Juice
• ½ Cup Ketchup
• ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar (packed)
• ¼ Cup Honey
• ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• ¼ Cup Hot Sauce (more if you like it hot)
• ¼ Cup Worcestershire Sauce
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 2 Tablespoons Malcom’s Jammin’ Jerk Seasoning
• 1 Teaspoons Ground Black Pepper (optional)
• 1 Scotch Bonnet or Habanero Pepper finely chopped

Sauté onion and garlic over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients, whisk to combine, and continue to simmer for 20 min.

Place everything back on the pit and set the sauce. After 15 minutes it should be ready to come off the pit.

Allow the Jerk Pork to rest for 10 minutes then chop into bite size portions. This dish is meant to be rustic.

Jerk isn’t fancy but man it goes great with an ice cold beer!

I served it in pineapple bowl topped with a little pineapple salsa. Just cut about 1/3 of a pineapple off leaving the top attached to the larger portion.

Score the inner flesh of the pineapple with a knife and use a spoon to scoop it out. Chop the pineapple and mix it with 1 cup diced tomato, 1 cup chopped onion, 1 finely chopped jalapeno, and ¼ cup fresh cilantro. Squeeze a lime over the salsa and season with salt and pepper to taste.

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