The Best Low Sodium Jerk Chicken
Yeah Mon! We’re talking about summer grilling! Food that is so full of flavor, you forget it is low sodium. The food is definitely not flavorless or bland as many people’s perception of low sodium food tends to be. This is Jerk Chicken! This is a taste straight out of Jamaica that makes you dream of an island getaway with drinks with lots of fruit and little umbrellas in them. As it is easy to convert into low sodium, we are talking today about the best low sodium jerk chicken.
Learning From a Real Jerkmaster
In my day job of performing PR and Marketing, I have the distinct privilege to work with many chefs and food purveyors. Many of whom have become great friends and have followed along with my journey through heart failure through to my transplant and also my journey to go Low Sodium. When they heard I was launching this site, many were quick to pipe in that they would love to send recipes that I can share with you to allow you to live this low sodium life and do so without losing taste!
Our first guest chef is Jerkmaster Gary Feblowitz. Gary is the owner of Exotic Wood Chips LLC, and is the only officially licensed importer of Jamaican Pimento Wood products and spices. He works with the Jamaican Authorities to only harvest the trees that have been knocked down by storms, have fallen down, or are being taken down for construction. He also plants three new trees for every one he harvests, so it is a very sustainable business as well. You can find out more and if you wish to order some of his wood chip products you can visit here: www.pimentowood.com.
While travelling to Jamaica, Gary fell in love with the country and more importantly the food, especially with Jerk. He tried to replicate the recipes here in the United States, but had no such luck. He even went to restaurants and outlets that claimed to have Jerk, but he just couldn’t find the same flavors that he had found in Jamaica. It turns out, it was because the flavors were imparted by the wood and leaves used to cook the food. The Pimento Wood.
Pimenta is the Latin prefix for pepper … and that’s how it got its name. The trees are about the size of a maple tree, but they are pepper trees. It’s a form of allspice. We are used to allspice from Mexico or Honduras, which is cinnamonny, nutmeggy lighter stuff. The pimento is really sharp, with hints of pepper and clove. The smoke from the wood, leaves, or wood chips impart a unique flavor that defines and underlines what Jerk is.
Gary is sharing with us his authentic recipe for Jerk Chicken. You don’t have to use Pimento Wood to grill, but it does make quite the difference. Even without Pimento wood for your grill, this Chicken is so full of spice and flavor (and is low sodium) so you can add more to your diet. Remember to try to source chicken that has not been brined when frozen or is fresh from your butcher. Jerk is also great on turkey, fish, skirt steak, and pork. Let’s get Grilling! Yeah Mon!
The Best Low Sodium Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/4 C Peanut or corn oil
- 1.5 C Scallions or leeks both white and green parts
- 2 to 5 Habanero or Scotch Bonnet chilies seeded, minced
- 3 cloves to 4 Garlic peeled, minced
- 2 T Allspice berries crushed or 2 T fresh pimento
- 6 leaves Pimento
- 2 T Fresh thyme leaves or 1 t dried thyme
- 1/4 C Cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 3 T Salt Free Chicken stalk or the lowest sodium you can find
- 1 T Salt Free Liquid Smoke
- 2 T Lime juice
- 1 T Dark molasses or 1 T Dark brown sugar
- 2 t Freshly ground cinnamon approx. 1 stick
- 1 T Fresh ginger peeled, minced or 1 t Ground ginger
- 2 t Freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 T Black pepper ground
- 1 Red Stripe Beer one for basting and some for the Jerkmaster Grilling
- 2 oz Dark rum
- 2 Limes
- 2 Whole Chicken
Instructions
- Clean the Chicken
- Cut the 2 limes in halves, rub the entire Chicken with the lime halves, squeezing the limes as you do to impart the juice onto the chicken.
- Combine all of the ingredients from the oil to the rum into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Rub the blended Marinade under the skin, then refrigerate the chicken overnight.
- To Cook In The Oven:
- Place Chicken on a Roasting Pan.
- In a piece of foil, ad the pimento sticks, chips, or leaves and fold the foil into a packet.
- Poke slits in the packet to allow the smoke to infuse the chicken and place the packet under the chicken in the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Cook low and slow at 250-275 degrees 2.5-3 hours until juices run clear.
- Use a meat thermometer to assure that meat is thoroughly cooked to 165 degrees F.
- To Cook on the Grill:
- Prepare your grill. Charcoal or gas will work just fine.
- Soak Chips in water for at least 20 min.
- Soak Leaves in water for 20 minutes
- Soak Sticks in water for at least 20 min.
- Use the offset cooking technique: Heat on one side of the grill and the meat on the other, that is the most important step to great Jerk grilling.
- Wrap Chips in foil
- Poke small hole for smoke to escape
- Place directly on coals or on Gas burner or you can use a smoker box
- Make a bed of leaves on the cool side of the grill
- Place sticks on top of leaves
- Place meat on sticks
- More leaves can be put in a pan of water over heat
- Cook 275 for 2.5 to 3 hours - Let’er smoke
- Baste with Red Stripe Beer
- Add another hand full of chips after 2 hours
- Continue to cook until juices run clear.
Nutrition