Recipe by Mike Grosh
Jamaican Jerk (Omni and Vegan Variants)
Vegan
Ingredients
2 20oz cans Young/Uunripe Green Jackfruit in Brine (drained weight appx 12 oz)
2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetable base
1 2oz (56.6g) pack Jamaican Jerk blend
Water
Optional:
Orange Juice as a replacement for or blended with the water.
Procedure
Jackfruit preparation: drain the Jackfruit brine from the cans. Add Better Than Bouillon Vegetable base and 1 tablespoon Jamaican Jerk Blend plus 1/2 cup of water. Stir, then add drained jackfruit. Add 1 tablespoon of the Jamaican Jerk Blend over the top of the Jackfruit. Add water/Orange Juice until almost covering the Jackfruit.
Heat over medium heat for 45 mins, stirring occasionally. Reduce the liquid until the Jackfruit is soft and mashable. You may need to add more liquid until the Jackfruit is finished cooking.
Add another tablespoon of Jamaican Jerk Blend and mash with a potato masher to finish. This will give it a pulled chicken/pork texture and consistency.
Omni
Ingredients
2 lbs Halal Chicken Thighs, trimmed of bone fragments and excess fat – OR – 2 lbs Pork Shoulder cut into roughly 1” x 2” pieces
3 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetable base
1 2oz (56.6g) pack Jamaican Jerk blend
Water
Optional:
For Pork Shoulder, replace half of the water with orange juice.
DO NOT ADD ORANGE JUICE FOR CHICKEN UNLESS YOU WANT JAMAICAN ORANGE CHICKEN. ASK ME HOW I KNOW, LMAO.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Digital Probe Thermometer
Procedure
Preheat oven to 350
In a glass baking dish or metal pan, mix Better Than Bouillon Vegetable base, 1 tablespoon Jamaican Jerk Blend, and 1/2 cup of water. Stir well to combine.
Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven, stir, and cover with aluminum foil. Reduce heat to 300 and return to the oven.
Cook until Chicken Thighs are to 175-180 degrees, Pork Shoulder until 195 degrees. Pork will take significantly longer to cook than Chicken. When the Pork is cooked thoroughly, you’ll be able to break it apart with a fork
Drain and reserve excess liquid if needed. Mash with a potato masher until it has a pulled chicken/pork consistency. Stir in 2+ tablespoons of Jamaican Jerk Blend. Add enough reserved liquid to soak back into the chicken/pork to help them remain juicy upon serving and reheating.
Serve immediately and/or bring to room temp, then transfer to the fridge to allow the flavors to further develop and intensify overnight. If reheating, sear it in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Notes
For a truer Jerk experience, toss in a dash of Habanero or Ghost Pepper powder to heat your choice of protein appropriately. We added a light dusting of Ghostly Maple to the Apron Gala offerings.
Applicable North Market Spices items: Jamaican Jerk Blend, Habanero Powder, Ghost Pepper Powder, Ghostly Maple