Antler and Fin Podcast: Jerk Wild Turkey and the History of Jamaican Jerk
For many of us, the end of the spring wild turkey season means the beginning of backyard gatherings with family and friends and the smoky aroma of your favorite barbequed meal. This Jamaican Jerk inspired dish is a great option to add to your wild game backyard barbeque repertoire and has the perfect balance of both heat and sweetness.
This (wet) marinade consists of a blend of spices/seasoning including garlic, brown sugar, thyme, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, green onions, and my favorite hot pepper to both grow and eat, the scotch bonnet. It can be easily modified to adapt to your preferred flavor profile or used for your fresh-caught fish/shrimp or other seasonal game.
Personally, I like mine spicy and will add an additional hot pepper (or two) and let it marinate for 24 hours because the longer you marinate, the tastier your dish will be!
Read the written version of this recipe as prepared by LC Hunter
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About Jamaican Jerk
Jamaican jerk is a fiery marinade consisting of ground allspice berries and Scotch bonnet chili peppers, as well as other seasonings and aromatics.
Traditionally used to season wild pork that was cooked in pits over pimento woods, modern jerk now comes in myriad forms and can be used to flavor wild game, fish, chicken, tofu, seafood, vegetables, etc.
The jerked protein is most often cooked over a flame to create the smoky flavors associated with it, and true Jamaican jerk is most often cooked in specially modified oil barrels and sold on the street. The most common ways to enjoy jerk are as domestic jerk chicken and pork.
About Adam Berkelmans:
Adam Berkelmans, also known as The Intrepid Eater, is a passionate ambassador for real food and a proponent of nose-to-tail eating. He spends his time between Ottawa and a cozy lake house north of Kingston, Ontario. When not cooking, he can be found hunting, fishing, foraging, gardening, reading, traveling, and discovering new ways to find and eat food.
