Spicy Jamaican or Caribbean Jerk wings - Looking for suggestions...

treitz3 · June 1

Hey all, as summer moves in and my family has fallen in love with my grilled hot wings, I thought I would expand on the flavors and take a dip in dry rub wings. Specifically, either a Jamaican or Caribbean spiced rub. Problem is, I am a complete rookie with these types of flavors.

I already have a recipe that I will be trying for the dipping sauce, but have no clue where to even start with the dry rub. The wings will be marinated for 30 minutes in a salt/sugar brine, pat dried and laid out on a cookie tray to finish drying in the fridge prior to applying the dry rub.

I was hoping that someone here has either family in the region, or knowledge of a fantastic recipe for a dry rub from this region. If you have any suggestions, please hit me up. Even if you have a recommendation of certain "must have's" for the rub or even brine, I'm all ears.

We have a local dive, Island Bar and Grill, that offers these wings (along with the dipping sauce) and these are some of the absolute best wings this taste palette has experienced. That said, I am yearning to learn to do these myself.

Thanks for any input you may have to offer.

Tom

billbillw · June 1

Jerk is typically a thick wet rub/paste. Not quite a marinade, but you might need to factor that into the routine. I'm not sure how long they recommend to leave the rub on before cooking. I've made it a few times in the past, but not with tremendous success.
There was a restaurant in Atlanta that I used to go to for their Jerk. You'd get a whole half chicken for a really good price. I never could recreate their flavor. That was years ago though. I imagine there are some good bottled varieties out there now, especially if you can find a Tropical/Caribbean market near you. This one seems to get great reviews, but I'm not sure if its in stores or only by mail.

treitz3 · June 1

billbillw wrote: »

Jerk is typically a thick wet rub/paste.

Ah, I did not know this. I have only seen the end result, and assumed that it was a dry rub. Thanks.

For the moment, I am looking for a recipe that I can whip up and alter myself, as opposed to a store bought product. This may change over time, if I can't make or create from scratch what I am looking for. Might be worth it just to try it and see if it is the taste I am looking for though. Thanks.

Tom

treitz3 · June 1

Think I'll order me one of these as well. I have had great luck with the Spice House before. In fact, most all of my spices come from this source. Only recently have I ventured off into premixed packets and blends (besides the typical Italian seasoning).

https://www.thespicehouse.com/products/jamaican-jerk-seasoning?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18479276085

This one is mild....just need to figure out what kind of heat they typically use. Also, learned something on that link - "Jerking is the technique of poking small holes in meat to infuse it with the jerk flavor". Interesting. They also list the ingredients within the package -

Onion, garlic, kosher salt, cane sugar, thyme, allspice, chiles, green onion, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, sage. At least this gives me somewhat of a baseline of ingredients to use. I would just need to find out what chilies they typically use down in that region.

This should be fun!

Tom

billbillw · June 1

Here would be a start (taken from JessicaintheKitchen.com).
Ingredients
4 organic scotch bonnet peppers* 3 ¼ oz
½ large red onion or 1 medium yellow onion chopped
6 cloves garlic
5 stalks of scallion
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh pimento seeds
2 tablespoons brown sugar I used organic
1 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons oil
7 sprigs of fresh thyme
Squeeze lime

Instructions
-Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until completely incorporated.
-Pour into a sanitised jar and place in your fridge.
You can enjoy immediately or let flavours meld together for as long as you like! Enjoy friends!
NOTES
Organic scotch bonnet peppers are much hotter and larger, so if you’re not using organic then you can up this to like 6 or 7. The sauce is very spicy, so use less scotch bonnet peppers for a mild sauce.
Pimento is the same thing as allspice.
I started this at a medium high heat level. Adjust accordingly for your taste buds. If you’re not so sure, start with just one, and work your way up!

pitdogg2 · June 1

I was going to say the Scotch Bonnet is a Caribbean pepper.
They will pucker your rectom!

https://explorepartsunknown.com/jamaica/the-scotch-bonnets-journey-from-the-orinoco-river-valley-to-the-jerk-pit/

https://www.clovegarden.com/ingred/cp_caribz.html

treitz3 · June 1

Sweet. Looks like you can buy the seeds as well. Very nice! All peppers do really well where I live. They are the easiest to sprout and grow, in my experience.

Tom

billbillw · June 1

Yeah, I didn't mention it earlier, but those scotch bonnets are flaming hot, but with great flavors. Don't eliminate them completely, but maybe cut it by half or a quarter.

treitz3 · June 1

So, I got to thinking tonight (I know, bad thing)...

If true jerk is infusing the flavors into the meat? Why not make the mix and vacuum seal it, to where the flavors REALLY get into the meat?

Tom

Dr_Wu · June 1

Scotch Bonnets are very easy to grow. Fruity and very hot, as said. Remove the ribs and seeds to reduce heat. To add heat without the flesh, poke holes in one and add it to a pot of chili or whatever you like - remove it when the dish is hot enough for you. Always wear kitchen gloves when you handle them, and if you happen to touch them wash your hands and don't rub your fingers in your eyes!

WagnerRC · June 2

This is my favorite and works well for me. Chicken or beef all come out great. I remember when you gave me the " old mule" recommendation.

https://www.safeway.com/shop/product-details.960044914.html?productId=960044914&CMPID=ps_swy_sea_own_null_20220720_20201877049_149769748299_293946777986_MerkleENT&psrc=g&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20201877049&gbraid=0AAAAADeuA_j01qvW-lgyfb1V1XkfiucNi&gclid=CjwKCAjwl_XBBhAUEiwAWK2hzo1t9AdJvBUERMsRF6AKTNB1IzRaPkiIRuLG36m-HR5cRbAOLLXTIRoC3mUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

treitz3 · June 2

Hmmm, I don't have any Safeway's near me, but I can check to see if I can order it online. Thanks for the suggestion.

Yeah, I still gobble up that Old Mule Q sauce. My favorites are the Mustard and the Hot. Good stuff, man.....good stuff! The local Harris Teeter actually sells the Old Mule Q sauce now. Problem is, it's just the regular, which isn't my favorite. Bummer on that note.

Tom

huggies · June 4

This is what I use. The mild has enough spice for me. You want spicy, get the hot. It WILL be hot.

https://www.amazon.com/Walkerswood-Mild-Traditional-Jamaican-Seasoning/dp/B0184B2CJS/ref=sr_1_32?sr=8-32

Jstas · June 4

OK, so, a few years ago, a neighbor's co-worker gave her a jerk chicken marinade to try. The co-worker was Jamaican too. This is one of those "budget recipes" where inexpensive substitutions are made when money is tight. Anyway, it's got all the hallmarks of a jerk recipe, just nothing "fresh"

Original recipe was to marinate the chicken for a while and then put it right on the grill and let it cook a while. That was ok but much of the marinade that was left on it burned and it wasn't as good as it could be.

I had tried it and then I was like, you know what would be better? Smoke this chicken for a couple hours and THEN grill it. It'll cook all the way through and still get that nice grill flavor without all the charred seasonings.

Yeah, it was fabulous!

So here's what we did.

A warning on Scotch Bonnets. They are dangerously spicy. You can leave them whole and get a bunch of flavor and a bit of heat. More heat? Just slit them with a knife. ALL THE HEATS?!?! Put on eye protection and rubber gloves and cut them up. They will be FIYAH!

AFTER HANDLING THE PEPPERS, WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE LIKE RUB AN EYE, PICK YOUR NOSE OR GO TO THE BATHROOM!!!

Make the marinade using:
- 10 scotch bonnets
- 1 can OJ concentrate
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 oil (light flavor like canola or avocado)
- 1/2 cup Captain Morgan's rum (spiced or regular, both work fine)
- Crushed red pepper (to taste)
- 2 teaspoons Chili powder
- 3 teaspoons old bay (has a bunch of stuff like celery seed, onion powder, cayenne powder and garlic powder already in it, easier than measuring out 9 other ingredients and substitutes for a bunch of fresh ones)
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 2 teaspoons all spice
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- hot sauce (to taste, your favorite brand, we used Frank's or Tabasco)

That will make about 2 full cups of marinade at the minimum. It's enough for 4 leg quarters (leg and thigh together)

Get your chicken and stick it a bunch with a fork. Then stick it in the marinade. You can use a bowl or a baggie or a baking tray or whatever. Cover it and throw it in the fridge for at least 4 hours. I would not go longer than overnight, though, there's a lot of acid and it will start dissolving the chicken.

Then, grab your smoker or your BGE or your charcoal grill and get a fire going set up for indirect heat. When you're ready to cook, take the chicken straight from the marinade and stick it right on the grill. Leave it for 2 hours at around 200 degrees F. Use a light smoking wood like alder or pecan 'cause you don't want it to be heavy smoke. It'll be overpowering.

If you are using big pieces, you want to get the chicken to about 155-160 internal temp on the smoker. If it's wings, 2 hours may be too long before they dry out. Use your best judgement. Don't cook them completely 'cause you're going to move them to a hot grill right from the smoker and get that nice crust on them. If they are overdone on the smoker, they will dry out on the grill.

When done with the smoking, finish them on the grill, hot too. Should only be about 10 minutes, tops, to get them all the way there.

This is what the leg quarters looked like after being on the smoker for 2 hours

And this was finishing them on the grill

They came out spectacular and I've done this for a couple Carnivore Day BBQs and I never have leftovers. The critical difference is the time in the smoker 'cause we tested it without the smoker and while it was still good, the smoker gave it that wow factor. Even the Jamaican co-worker was impressed with the smoked jerk chicken and it was her recipe!

treitz3 · June 9

I am gonna start to learn about smoking soon. I have already started collecting different types of woods and researched different techniques both on the grill and in the big Green Egg. I will try most all of the suggestions within this thread offered so far, but to start out, I want to see just how close readily store bought items (the complete opposite of my original intentions) can get me. Then, I will work my way up to recipe's like the one John offered above.

So far , I have collected the following -

2 jars of Walkerswood jerk seasoning in mild. (for the wife)
2 jars of Walkerswood jerk seasoning in Hot and Spicy. (For me boy and I)
Temporarily going to use habanero peppers - bought 5. (For me boy and I)
Ordered Scotch Bonnet Peppers (4oz worth) and seeds off Etsy.
Pimento wood chips - https://buypimentowood.com/
Jamaican dry spice mix from the Spice House.

The rest of the seasonings that are typically used, I have in the normal spices I have on hand. Garlic and onion powder, thyme, sea salt, all spice, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, brown sugar, cracked black kampot pepper, fresh ginger and cayenne pepper.

Gonna cut up and brine the wings in a sugar and salt solution for a half an hour, pat them dry, poke holes in them, then add the Jerk seasoning, to blend in until cook time tomorrow. The wood won't be delivered in time, so these won't be smoked, but it should give me an indication if I am on the right track or not.

Tom

treitz3 · June 9

The Spice House seasoning came in today. I'll try this on the next batch.

Tom

bcwsrt · June 9

Kampot pepper. Can’t believe I’ve never heard of that before. I love this place … and fresh ground pepper.

treitz3 · June 10

So, the first batch was definitely delicious, but it didn't hit the mark. If we weren't so picky, this right here would be regular rotation for meals.

So, I popped my cherry and jerked my chicken for the first time. Pleasant but still was left wanting. (Take that how you will). 😁

Next round will be the recipe from the Spice House. For the record, the entire family tasted absolutely zero difference between the Hot and Spicy Walkerswood Jerk seasoning and the mild. The two could be interchanged at will, with not one person noticing any difference between the two.

They were "somewhat" fall off the bone and the wife's batch, I did not take a photo of. But like I said, they were basically the same thing. No heat difference, as we switched (all of us) after about the 3rd wing. I would also like to point out that my wife, Kim, does NOT like spicy stuff....so there is that.

'Till the next episode...

Tom

Jstas · June 11

Ya know, when we did the messing around with the various marinades, we noticed that the chicken was hot enough to make your eyes water just opening the baggie it was in.

When we first put it on the grill, not even the smoker, the smoke and steam coming off was pretty potent too. By the time it was done cooking, we thought we were going for some painful dinner but it wasn't at all.

I dunno the science behind it but maybe the fire cuts the heat of the peppers? I wonder if baking them first and then finishing on the grill would change it?

treitz3 · June 12

Dunno, John. It would be a worthy experiment. You wound think that 10 Scoth Bonnet peppers would hurt going in and coming out!

But, wouldn't smoking them off indirect heat for a period of time do the same thing as baking them (With the obvious exception of introducing the smoked flavor profile)?

I didn't realize that the wings pictured above (my first batch of Jerk wings) looked so burnt. I can assure you, they definitely were not burnt. I am guessing that between the salt and sugar 30 minute soak, then the 24 hour jerking, it enhanced the mallard reaction produced a photo that makes them appear burnt. There was no hint of being burnt, flavor wise and the taste was definitely good....just not hot (in terms of pepper and spice heat). The crunch aspect that was in concert with the juiciness and almost fall off the bone aspect of the meat was damned near spot on.

I had a thought this morning. I think for the next batch, I am going to switch it up. Instead of placing all of the jerked wings on a tray in the fridge for 24 hours, I will jerk them in a vacuum sealed bag. With the removal of air and vacuum, in theory, the flavors would be more infused into the meat than they were with the first batch. I don't know yet if this will render any real results, but it's worth a shot, as this sped up the process and resulted in a more intense flavor profile within the meat on my Sesame Seed chicken wing recipe. Time will tell.

Tom

Jstas · June 13

See, I dunno for sure because smoke is water soluble. Which is why your wings turned black without burning. Capsaicin is fat soluble, though, and chicken is typically lean. So much of the heat from the peppers gets lost to drippings or ends up in the skin. Which is likely why such a huge amount of heat from the peppers doesn't transfer. If you made a sauce from the marinade, that would be crazy hot, though.

But, the oven is a dry heat that doesn't have stuff in it that will create a glaze or crust. So it will drive out the water before all the fat can render and that helps keep some of the flavors and heat in.

A smoker covers the meat in smoke particles, phenols, carbonyls and acids from the wood pyrolysis that happens. These combine with compounds in the meat to create that crust which, while it's not necessarily sealing things in, it does hamper the ability of moisture to escape and heat to penetrate.

So the process of smoking will work against you if you're trying to preserve pepper heat. It's the reason why folks spray food they are cooking with juices and water. It helps enhance the flavor by replacing moisture that is lost at the surface. That spraying adds moisture to the surface which aids in "bark production" which is where much of your BBQ flavor comes from.

Chicken, though...well, any poultry unless it's a duck or certain types of goose, will dry out very quickly if your smoker is too hot for too long and then you have no water and no fat so no real vehicle for putting flavors and heat into your meat.

When I do chicken, though, I put a bunch of wood chips in at first and let it saturate the chicken in smoke because that is when any meat, poultry or otherwise, will soak up the most flavors. Depending on the meat, I usually stop with smoke wood after an hour or two into it and just run charcoal and chunks of oak if I need higher heat. So if you want to do it on the grill like an oven, charcoal, a fat handful of wood chips that are dry at first and don't put any more on after that burns out. And yes, dry, not soaked, because steam from soaked chips burning will actually strip moisture away from the meat. Especially on delicate stuff like poultry, fish or cheeses. If you're trying to preserve, that's what you want. If you're trying to BBQ, that's not what you want.

On long cooks, a water bath is good to have because it helps regulate temps, especially with a large cooking chamber. But you can roll at 200-250 for hours and then when your water bath is dry 'cause you weren't paying attention, you'll shoot up to 350-400 in the blink of an eye. For short cooks, water baths hurt more than help. Short cooks you should use a small fire and feed it sparingly.

I think vacuum sealing for the marinade is good idea and will force more flavor into the meat displacing air and moisture. If you are going to vacuum seal, maybe sous vide them too instead of baking?

I dunno, I usually get myself into analysis paralysis on stuff like this and just decide to try something instead of guessing and see how it goes.

Spicy Jamaican or Caribbean Jerk wings - Looking for suggestions...

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