Jerk Chicken Legs
The chicken is marinated in a spicy blend of chives, peppers, garlic, malt vinegar, soy sauce, rum, allspice, nutmeg and cloves and then slow grilled over pimento wood, another hardwood, briquettes or propane with a smoker box filled with wood chips. (See note) If you serve this with Mango and Cucumber Chow, Garlicky Plantains, Coconut Rice and Peas, Sauteed Collard Greens, and Rum Punch you can have a wonderful Jamaican eating experience with all the flavors of the islands.
Equipment
- grill
- smoker box optional (See note)
Ingredients
- 4–8 Scotch bonnet chiles or habanero chiles
- 5 cloves garlic - crushed
- ¾ cup malt vinegar
- ¾ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon Jamaican Rum
- 2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken legs (about 6 pounds) - drumsticks and thighs separated, patted dry
- vegetable oil - for the grill
Instructions
- Blend chives, chiles, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, rum, salt, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves in a blender until smooth. Place chicken in a large bowl or in a large resealable storage bag and pour jerk marinade over them. Flip the bag or turn thighs and drumsticks several times to coat. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day, turning chicken pieces or flipping the bag a few times,
- Remove chicken from marinade, wiping off any excess, and let come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Discard marinade.
- Prepare grill for 2-zone heat (for a charcoal grill, bank two-thirds of coals on one half of grill and scatter remaining coals over other side; for a gas grill, set one burner to high heat and the remaining burners to medium-low heat). Lightly brush grate with oil. Arrange chicken drumsticks and thighs, skin side down, on grate over hottest part of grill and grill, turning halfway through, until lightly charred, 5–10 minutes. Move chicken to cooler part of grill and continue to grill, turning several times, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°, 20–25 minutes longer.
- If using a smoker box with a gas grill, follow the same cooking instruction but soak hardwood chips for an hour, add the chips to the box and place on the hottest part of the grill. I lift up the grate and place it directly onto the flavorizer bars and replace the grate. Wait until the box starts to smoke and then place the chicken on and follow the same cooking directions.
- Transfer chicken to a platter and let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Stainless Steel Smoker Box
