Cooking St. Kitts Caribbean, part 4

Mount Olivees and part of the botanical garden at Fairview Great House, St. Kitts.

Caribbean cuisine, thy name means jerk - spices, that is - for rubbing on any edible critters that go on a dinner plate. Every cook, neighborhood, village, city and island has a distinct version ranging from tingly to scalding.

Chef Cheviour Lake, instructor of Caribbean Cooks classes at Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. Kitts, shared hers for pork and chicken. We had the chicken and it was delicious.

Jerk Pork Loin or Chicken Breasts

Six servings

2 lbs. pork loin or comparable amount large, boneless chicken breasts

Jerk rub for seasoning

1/4 cup ground allspice
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 cloves garlic
4 hot peppers (jalapeno or scotch bonnet peppers will work)*
2 bunches island herbs, garlic chives aka green onions
1 tsp. cinnamon powder
Grated nutmeg to taste
Lime juice

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender.

*To make a mild rub, use de-seeded jalapenos; for spicier, leave the seeds in. Scalding? Scotch bonnets. Not sure? Go mild and serve with a bottle of hot sauce.

Apply rub to meat.

Heat a non-stick pot/skillet on medium for 15 minutes. Place meat into pan and sear for 2 minutes per pound on each side.

Let meat sit for juices to settle then slice.