Jerk is a style of cooking that originates from the Caribbean island of Jamaica. The word “jerk”, and indeed the word “jerky” as well, are derived from the word “charqui” in the Native American language Quechua. “Jerky” means dried meat and refers to a particular method of meat: the meat was cut into strips, the strips were placed on a wooden frame next to a small smoky fire; the smoke from the fire would keep insects like flies away and help preserve the meat.

Today, however, dried meat dishes are generally prepared on the grill. If possible, a charcoal grill should be used and pepper or berry wood placed over the coals. If pimento wood is not available, you can try substituting hickory or some apple. And, while using a grill is recommended, if one isn’t possible, you can cook passable meat dishes in a regular kitchen oven.

The secret to jerk is “Jamaican jerk spice” which is applied to the meat before cooking. Try making a few cuts in the meat and rubbing the hot spice into these, as well as the meat in general. Ideally, you should also marinate the meat in the jerk spice overnight in the refrigerator.

Today you can find the Jamaican spice in many large supermarkets, although if you have the ingredients you may be able to make it yourself. Jerk spice is actually a mixture of several spices, including capsicum (also known as “allspice”), Scotch peppers, cloves, cinnamon, garlic, nutmeg, and thyme. Chives and chopped onions can also be mixed in with the spice.