Jamaican feast - Jerk chops and more

[jcam222]

We have gone to Jamaica now several times and even before that I was a huge fan of jerk and Caribbean flavors. No Montego Bay this year so making it at home. All keto as usual.

• Appetizer
  • Jamaican Meat Patty
• Entree
  • Jerk Pork Chop
  • Sweet and Spicy Cabbage
  • Coconut curry cauliflower rice

Wanted to squeeze in ginger cake for dessert but run out of time. First up the chops. These are from the whole hog I picked up a couple weeks ago. Rubbed these with Walker Woods Mild Jerk wet rub. I used mild as quite a few people that will get some of this cant handle the full hot jerk. I will spice it up with a sauce. These went into the frig overnight to marinade were smoked at 225F with cherry wood. Sure wish I had some pimento wood.

Next is the cabbage. This warms up well so cooking it early prior to smoking the chops.

Ingredients

• 1 head of cabbage chopped (two pictured but only ended up using one)
• 2 tbsp avocado oil (more or less as needed, can use alternate oils)
• 1 small onion cut into thin bite size pieces
• 4 green onions chopped
• 2 red bell peppers cut into bite size pieces
• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 4-6 tbsp sweetener ( to taste , I used erythritol)

Cook the onions, green onion and peppers until they soften. Add they thyme , whole habanero and salt and simmer for a few minutes.

Add the cabbage and cook and cook until it begins to get tender, add additional oil as needed. Once it is pretty tender add the vinegar and sweetener. I cleared a little spot in the middle, punctured and crushed the peppers and bit and let the thyme and peppers infuse the liquid. Then I pulled them to dress up the bowl.

Here is its all finished up.

Time for something a little milder to help offset the spicy parts of the meal. I winged this recipe as I couldn't find any starting point online that appealed to me.

Ingredients

• 16 oz. riced cauliflower
• 1 cup hemp hearts
• 6 tbsp butter
• 14 oz. can of full fat coconut milk
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• salt to taste

Saute the cauliflower and hemp hearts in the butter until they are tender. Add the coconut milk and curry and simmer 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir to melt it in. Garnish with green onion.

Mini Jamaican Beef patties are the last thing to make.

Ingredients - Filling

• 1 lbs. ground beef
• small onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 scotch bonnet or habanero
• 2 tsp curry
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/8 tsp ground clove
• 2 tbsp butter

Start browning the ground beef and keep chopping it to have a nice fine consistency. Puree the onion, garlic and pepper in a food processor. Stir into the beef along with all of the spices and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes. Stir in butter at the end.

Ingredients - Pastry shell

• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 2 oz. cream cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of almond flour
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric

This is just a standard fathead dough where I am adding the spices to flavor and color the shells. Microwave the mozzarella and cream cheese until softened. Be careful not to overdue it and burn the cheese. Stir until fairly consistent. Mix the eggs , vinegar, salt and spices . Add these and the almond flour. For best results mix in a dough mixer. I forgot to snap a shot of the dough but here are the meat patties stuffed and ready to bake at 400F.

Made a sauce to drizzle on these and the chops.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups no sugar added ketchup
• 1/3 cup of tamari (can use soy)
• 1 tbsp smokey reserve El Yucateco habanero sauce
• 2 tbsp Walkers Woods Hot jerk wet rub
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 cup Brown Swerve
• 1/3 cup white vinegar

Add all the ingredients to a sauce pan and bring to a low boil without burning the sweetener. Back of to a simmer for a few minutes and set aside to cool.

Here is the Jamaican meat patty plated up with some amazing jerk flavored cheese I found at Kroger and drizzled with a little of the bbq sauce. Not my most attractive appetizer but very tasty. The pic makes it look a bit over baked but from a texture standpoint it was on point.

Here is the meal all plated up. I have to say these chops are the most tender juicy chops I have ever had. They were smoked to 145 and rested about 10 minutes prior to serving. I will most definitely be buying local small farm hogs more often!! The creamy coconut curry cauliflower rice was a perfect compliment to the spicy meat, sauce and cabbage. Overall very happy with this meal. Next time I plan on using more of the marinade and at least doing half with the hot version.

That's another wrap for a weekend cooking day. As always thanks for stopping by and looking!

 

[tx smoker]

Wow Jeff, you just keep knocking these grand slam home runs out of the park. That is an exquisite meal right there buddy. Excellent job on another 5-star meal and magazine quality presentation. Beautifully detailed as usual and presented like a masterpiece. Wow...I mean just WOW!!

Robert

 

[xray]

Wow is right Jeff, everything looks absolutely superb! You sure know how to make a spectacular meal that’s themed with all the ingredients complimenting each other.

I want to try making that cabbage also. I love the Jamaican beef patties. When I was in xray school, a classmate used to bring them in all the time. His mom was Jamaican and made them.

 

[sawhorseray]

Another culinary masterpiece Jeff, just an amazing piece of work. I can only imagine all the time and the attention to detail it takes to assemble a meal of that quality. I'd give it two Likes if I could, nice job! RAY

 

[SmokinAl]

Geez Jeff, you keep putting out this fantastic food!
Not much to say, but I sure wish I was your neighbor!!
Al

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

Damn Jeff! I love all of the flavors you have there. Chops look cooked perfectly. Nice job all around! Thanks for sharing the jerk patty recipe I am going to give those a try.