Whole birdJerk Chicken Over Charcoal and Pimento Wood
Real jerk is a smoking technique, not a sauce. The marinade matters, but what makes it jerk is slow smoke over pimento wood.
ShoulderCuban Lechon Asado
Pork shoulder marinated in mojo, which is sour orange, a great deal of garlic and oregano. Citrus and pork over charcoal, and very little else.
VegetablesGrilled Pineapple with Rum and Lime
Fire does something remarkable to pineapple: the sugars caramelise and the fruit turns almost savoury. A pudding that cooks on the dying coals.
Caribbean live-fire cooking spans very different colonial and indigenous inheritances, but the shared threads are citrus marinades, allspice and pork cooked slowly over wood or charcoal.
At a glance
| Recipe | Method | Grill temp | Cook time | Pull at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jerk Chicken Over Charcoal and Pimento Wood | Two-zone cooking | 135 to 175°C (275 to 350°F) | 1 hr 15 min | 80°C (175°F) |
| Cuban Lechon Asado | Low and slow smoking | 105 to 135°C (225 to 275°F) | 8 hr | 95°C (203°F) |
| Grilled Pineapple with Rum and Lime | Direct heat | 175 to 230°C (350 to 450°F) | 10 min | Caramelised |
Techniques used
Direct heat. Food straight over the coals. Fast, fierce, and finished before the inside overcooks. Low and slow smoking. Hours at 105°C (225°F) to 150°C (300°F) with wood on the coals. Collagen melts, bark forms. Two-zone cooking. Coals banked to one side: a searing zone and a gentle zone in one grill. The single most useful technique in charcoal cooking.
Cookers these suit
Bullet smokers. Drum smokers. Kamado grills. Kettle grills. Portable grills.