Jerk Pork Bites
A starter or nibble to introduce any meal, you can swap the pork out for chicken wings or marinate vegetables to create the same moreishness of these bites. I wanted to share one of my jerk seasonings that celebrates its individual stars, as well as my cultural heritage of Jamaica. Showcasing scotch bonnet’s sweetness and spice, thyme’s earthy notes and nutmeg’s distinct fragrance that transports me to Grenada, a place so stunning and majestic I am always fantasising about relocating.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
pork shoulder 500g, cut into bite-sized cubes, roughly 2cm in size
honey to taste
lime to taste
fresh thyme 1 large bunch, leaves picked and washed (or 1 tbsp dried thyme)
coriander 1 large bunch, washed, plus extra to serve
onions 6 medium, peeled and quartered
garlic 2 bulbs, peeled
allspice 1 tbsp
cinnamon 1 tbsp
nutmeg 2 tsp
soy sauce 4 tbsp (or 6 tbsp tamari to make it gluten-free)
scotch bonnets 6, deseeded
sea salt to serve
Method:
Blend all of the ingredients except the pork, honey and lime in a food processor until very finely chopped and smooth – this will make the jerk seasoning. This can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 weeks and yields around 1-1½ litres of wet jerk seasoning. Alternatively, freeze it in ice-cube trays, then store it in a plastic container and defrost as needed. Each cube is around 30ml in an average ice-cube tray.
I like to marinate my meat overnight in the fridge or, ideally, for 24 hours. Season the pork with around 1 tbsp of kosher salt or fine sea salt and mix well to tenderise. Add enough of the jerk seasoning to give all the meat a lovely coating.
When ready to cook, remove the meat from the fridge for around half an hour to bring it up to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas mark 4.
Grease an oven tray with a little oil to avoid the pork sticking and then spread the meat out evenly; cover with foil for the first hour or two of cooking.
Cook the pork for 1½ hours, checking occasionally that the meat isn’t sticking.
Mix 2-3 tablespoons of jerk seasoning with 1-2 tbsp of honey; this can be adjusted to taste depending on whether you want the pork bites sweeter and stickier. Set aside.
After 1½ hours, remove the foil and coat the pork with the honey-jerk mix, making sure all the meat is evenly coated.
Return to the oven and cook for another half an hour or so, keeping an eye to make sure the sauce doesn’t burn. The pork is ready when nicely tender and sticky.
Squeeze over a little lime and sprinkle with finely chopped coriander and sea salt crystals.