We made this recipe for the first time last Sunday. Jerrad made the seasoning on Saturday and we let the ribs marinate overnight.
It calls for Scotch bonnet chiles, which is an essential part of a true “jerk” recipe. We couldn’t find them, so we substituted habaneros. It was still delicious, but not entirely authentic. We really liked this, so we’ll be making it again, with an attempt to find the right type of chiles.
This is from Steven Raichlen’s Ribs, Ribs, Ribs., but I’ve paraphrased quite a bit. Honestly, you should just go buy all of his grilling books anyway.
Jamaican Jerk Spareribs
- 2 to 6 Scotch bonnet chiles, stemmed and seeded (leave the seeds in to make it hotter)
- 1 bunch scallions (green onions), both white and green parts, trimmed and coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tbsps chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsps coarse salt (kosher or sea)
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- 2 tbsps dark rum
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 racks spareribs (6-8 pounds total)
- 1 1/2 cups wood chips, soaked in water for 1 hour and drained
1. Place the chiles, scallions, garlic, ginger, cilantro, thyme, brown sugar, salt, pepper, allspice, and cinnamon in a food processor and process until a coarse paste forms. With the motor running, add the oil, rum, and soy sauce to obtain a thick but spreadable paste.
2. Spread the jerk seasoning on both sides of the ribs, making sure to remove the membrane from the back of the ribs first. Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight.
3. Set up the grill for indirect grilling. Place a large drip pan in the center of the grill under the grate. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the ribs bone side down in the center of the grate and away from the heat.
4. The author includes instructions for both grilling and smoking. We have a grill with a firebox attached, so the coals and wood chips go in the firebox, and the ribs cook on the grill (but we still used the drip pan). Jerrad made sure to keep the temperature between 225 and 250, and we grilled/smoked the ribs for about 6 hours. (When the ribs are done, the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones by about 1/4 inch.)
5. Transfer the ribs to a large platter or cutting board. Let the ribs rest for a few minutes before cutting.
