Tropical Jerk Grilled Chicken

All Jerk marinades start with the pepper. Traditional Jerk is made with Scotch Bonnets which are found in the Caribbean Islands. The Scotch Bonnet has a 100,000-350,000 heat rating on the Scoville scale. I have a hard time finding these in Illinois so I just use Habanero's which is exactly as hot as the Scotch Bonnet.

You'll find out that I don't use measurements when I cook savory food. That's what fun about it. I always wing it and go by taste. That's why I leave the baking to my wife, lol

- We like hot food so we use 5 Habanero's

- Thyme

- Clove

- Nutmeg

- Cinnamon

- Sea Salt

- Coconut Rum

- Green Onion (Use the white part and the green part)

- Brown Sugar

- Garlic

- Cracked Pepper

- Tropical Fruit (Papaya is the best. Pineapple, Kiwi, Guava are all great. You can even buy the canned juice which works just as well. I used fresh Mango's for this, but I wouldn't recommend this fruit because it's very fibrous and difficult to blend.)

Blend all these ingredients together. In a large plastic ware container pour the marinade over your chicken breast. You can use thighs, breasts, legs, or anything you'd like. I used thin boneless, skinless breasts. 

Put in the fridge for at least an hour.

Now we'll hit the grill. Another you'll learn about me is that I swear by charcoal grills. If you would like to find out why just ask, and I'll tell. 

When you light your grill always have a hot side, and a cool side. I see so many BBQ noobs fill the whole grill with charcoal then burn the shit out of everything.

    

Make sure your coals are almost all white, and there is hardly any flame left. Make sure your grates are super hot. If your food is sticking to the grill, it's not hot enough. You don't need cooking spray, just a hot ass grill. If you want good "hash marks" or grill lines you have to have a very hot surface. To do this, you need to place the chicken in a 7 to 2 o'clock position for 2 minutes, then on the same side, carefully move it to  a 10 to 5 o'clock position for another 2 minutes. Flip them over and repeat the process.

Once you have a good crust on your chicken, and lines that look good to you. Move the chicken over to the cold side and close the grill until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees. I can generally tell by look and feel when my chicken is done just from experience. If you get freaked out about salmonella, then invest in a chef's thermometer.  Serve this with rice and always have some kind of drink with Rum in it.