Jerk Chicken: A Meal for Any Season

During these cold and sometime bleak winter months. Things have a tendency to slow down. Way down! Including your spirits. But have no fear, Randy's here! With a island cure to help lift ya spirits now! You know Just because its cold outside and snow is on the ground, that doesn't mean you can't fire up the grill. In-fact! To me it's probably the best time to grill up some good eats. The grill gets plenty of air so your meat gets smoked not cooked in a short amount of time. It gives you a break from being cooped up in a probably already hot kitchen. An opportunity to get outdoors with the kids (at least while your checking the meat) and not to mention the smiles and mouth watering looks you'll get from your neighbors and passers by.

Now when a lot of people hear the term "Jerk Chicken". They tend to automatically think "hot, spicy and burnt". That is not the case. You can make a very mild but flavorful jerk dish that you and the kids and the whole family can enjoy.

O.K. Enough with the pleasantries! lets get down and get greasy! First off you'll need to pick a jerk marinade (sauce). Now there are several brands and types. You have the dry jerk rub which is like your basic seasonings and a wet jerk marinade. Both of which you can find at either you supermarkets of specialty store. Or. If you have the patience you can make your own (I'm not that patient with the prep!) Looking for the recipe? No not me, I buy the wet marinade. Which I believe gives the better flavor. So if you go that route, make sure it's thick almost like a paste. It covers the meat better, you know all up in the stuff! If you like hot make sure the label says "Hot" if you like mild make sure the label says "mild". I prefer the mild you can always add heat but taking it out is very difficult. I learned that many a singed taste buds ago. Just to let y'all know! I'm not a professional chef. I just love to cook, so I'm going to put this in layman's terms. Alright?

O.K. here we go. Randy's Famous Jerk chicken, black beans and rice, w/ smoked cabbage and cinnamon spiced corn muffins. "I know! Sounds good already!"

Jerk Chicken:
-jerk sauce
-chicken
-grill
-charcoal

1. chicken both white and dark meat. (This way when you stack it on the grill the dark will keep the white from drying.)
Slightly score the chicken in the thicker places to insure flavor all the way through. Use the sauce as a wet rub. Apply liberally and rub in all pieces.
Place in freezer bag to marinate for at least an hour or over night for best results, turn and rotate every two hours. If you like it more hot add a tsp of cayenne pepper.

2. Place a good amount of coals in the grill all according to how much meat you have ( you will also be cooking the cabbage on the grill as-well)
Let the coals get 80% white, reserving 1/4 of the space as a safe zone ( this will also be the area where you will stack the chicken to let it smoke on through). Then place on a Clean! Grill rack. use a rag or paper towel to wipe on some cooking oil. ( if you use cooking spray, spray rack befpre placing on grill to avoid
flame ups). Place the chicken around the whole grill, all you can fit. Turn and rotate the chicken every 7-12 min. depending on the heat of the grill. This is very important to cook evenly. let the chicken get a nice reddish brown on both sides ( if it gets a little scorched don't worry that's just the sauce not the meat, besides that gives you the appearance you are looking for ) where as it is 85% done and then begin stacking in you safe zone for continued smokin ( place larger pieces on bottom as they may need the most heat ). Try and place the breast in-between legs and thighs to help maintain moisture. remove when done to your liking ( to check take a fork and with one of the larger pieces in the thickest area prod and peel open, if you don't see any redness it's ready ) O.K.?
remove from grill and either leave the chicken in whole pieces or chop with clever.

Smoked Cabbage:
-1 large cabbage
-1 stick of butter
-1 onion chopped (rough not to large not to small)
- 4-6 strips of bacon fried semi-crispy and crunched

3. Take a large piece of aluminum foil twist like you making kindle then form into a circle. Take a large cabbage leave shank at the bottom and peel away outer leaf. core the top in the middle about an inch deep and almost the whole circumfranace of the cabbage ( do not discard) rinse cabbage inside and out throughly. In sauce pan melt butter, saute onions in butter, add bacon.
let saute together for about 1-2 min.

Place foil hole on grill place cabbage in hole cored side up. Then pour butter, bacon and onion sauce in core ( try to get in every layer of cabbage ) save a little to brush outside of cabbage all around. then pour in the rest. Place top back on cabbage put lid on grill let cook to an deep brown almost black. If the top of the cabbage stars to darken to quickly cover just the top with a little foil.
Once done remove gentle from grill ( this puppy is ready to fall apart ) place in bowl then get your fork!

Now here is the easiest part.

Black Beans and Rice:
4. buy "zatarans" Black Beans and Rice and follow recipe. Hint: ( where it asks for olive oil, use butter )

Cinnamon spiced corn muffins:
5. buy "Jiffy" corn muffin mix follow the recipe and add a few dashes of cinnamon in the mix before baking.

Beverages:
- Red Stripe, Guiness or Sam Adams Boston Lager
- Pinot Grigio, Burgundy, or a nice red wine not to fruity
- Honey Lemonade. Ginger Beer

Well there you have it. one of my famous dishes. FYI, you can jerk fish, pork, beef, turkey of any cut. and design your own meal around it. Heck! I even made a jerk pizza once. That'll be in a later sub.

Now you are ready to serve your family, friends and some neighbors you have never met a good meal.

Enjoy with love!