← Nouns Cooking · Caribbean

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3–4 large slabs about 5 cm thick
• 6 Spring onion, roughly chopped
• 2 Scotch bonnet chilli, stems removed; deseed for less heat
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 3 cm piece Ginger, peeled
• 1 tbsp ground allspice (pimento)
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 2 tbsp Brown sugar
• 2 Lime, juiced
• 2 tbsp White vinegar
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 2 tsp Salt

Method

1. Wearing gloves, blend everything except the pork into a thick, rough jerk paste.
2. Score the pork slabs in a criss-cross every 2 cm, rub the paste deep into the cuts, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
3. Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan, 325°F). Put the pork in a roasting tin with a splash of water, cover tightly with foil and roast for 1 hour.
4. Uncover, turn the oven up to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F) and roast for 30–40 min more, basting once, until the outside is dark and sticky and the meat is fork-tender.
5. For real jerk-pit flavour, finish the slabs on a hot barbecue for 2–3 min per side until charred at the edges.
6. Rest for 10 min, then chop into bite-sized pieces and spoon over the pan juices.

Tips

• Scotch bonnets are very hot: wear gloves and keep your hands away from your eyes.
• Pork shoulder is safe well before it is tender; it needs the long cook to turn soft (it will be far past 70°C / 160°F).

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Taste the Islands CaribbeanPot.com