Chef Garth Lewis, affectionately known as the “jerk chef” at Geejam Hotel, gifted me a jar of his signature jerk sauce for which I later secured the recipe. Garth tells me the secret, other than the meat’s long marinade (at least 24 hours) and the pimento wood for smoking and roasting, is to source Jamaican wild cinnamon, also known as cassia or cinnamon bark. The sauce will keep in the fridge for 6 months.
Ingredients
Jerk Seasoning Blend
- Onion Powder 1 Tbs
- Garlic Powder 1 Tbs
- Smoked Paprika 2 tsp
- Cayenne 2 tsp
- Ground Cumin 1 tsp
- Ground Cinnamon 1 tsp
- Ground Allspice 1 tsp
- Ground Nutmeg ½ tsp
- Dried Thyme 1 tsp
- Dried Parsley 1 tsp
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper Flakes ½ tsp
- Black Pepper 1 tsp
- Salt 2 tsp
- Brown Sugar 1 Tbs
Jerk Sauce
- Garlic 2 oz
- Scallions 2 oz
- Onions 4 oz
- Scotch Bonnet Peppers 2 oz
- Jamaican Dried Pimento (Allspice) 2 oz
- Wild Cinnamon 1 tsp
- Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Blend 2 oz
- Fresh Ginger 2 oz, roughly chopped
- Brown Sugar 2 tsp
- Salt 1 tsp
- Vinegar 1 cup
Make It
- Combine all seasoning ingredients and store in a container away from light.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender and process to a smooth consistency.
