Foods of the World Forum Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Latin America > The Caribbean Islands
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Somewhere between the Florida Keys and Jamaica....
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

This site is completely supported by donations; there are no corporate sponsors. We would be honoured if you would consider a small donation, to be used exclusively for forum expenses.



Thank you, from the Foods of the World Forums!

Somewhere between the Florida Keys and Jamaica....

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Somewhere between the Florida Keys and Jamaica....
    Posted: 26 July 2015 at 12:33
Somewhere between the Florida Keys and Jamaica....

It was just one of those weekends, so I decided to do some spare ribs in the barbecue pit; being one of those weekends, I decided to experiment a bit (and hopefully improve) on a Florida-style concept that I had tried a few years ago:

http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/sunkist-florida-or-caribbean-pork-barbecue_topic1328.html

Looking back, that idea, in spite of tasting pretty good, wasn't really what I was looking for, so I decided to ask a friend who knows that part of the world well - we all know him as MarkR!

Mark has a great insight for this type of food, and he immediately had an understanding of what I was trying to do. He shared a recipe for Jamaican Jerk Barbecue, and another for a Latin-style Mojo. But Mark, being the cool dude that he is, took it a step further toward tailoring this to my needs; he knows that The Beautiful Mrs. Tas doesn't do spicy heat well, so he suggested replacing the hot peppers normally found in Jerk seasoning with...citrus zest! This is perfect for my needs, and also has the effect of keeping the Florida concept strong.

While I was looking the two recipes over, searching for ways to fuse the unique and new-to-me profiles together, I remembered a dish called Roast Pork Calypso that I have made a couple of times in the past:

http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/roast-pork-calypso_topic305.html

This was really a favourite of mine, and I've always wanted to incorporate it into barbecue, so I added elements from this dish to the drawing board, as well.

The result is something that had a slightly more elaborate ingredients list than I originally intended, but it is my understanding that this is not unusual with foods from the Caribbean. It could be said, with some authority, that barbecue originated here, and the folks who live here have had centuries to perfect the art. Considering that this is a first attempt at something whipped up over the course of an evening, I think I have something pretty good here, although it could definitely use a little tweaking.

I'll post the "recipe" as I am using it today, but this is not the final version, as you will see in my notes below:

Quote Robichaux’s Sun-Kist Adobo Jerkado

2 lemons - zest and juice
2 orange - zest and juice
1 grapefruit - zest and juice*
2 bunches green onion**
1 Onion
4 to 6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp ginger
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp mace
1/4 cup coconut sugar (wonderful stuff!)
1/2 cup oil

* I used grapefruit as an experiment, because there was not a single lime to be found in Chinook, Montana yesterday. If I had my way, I would use two limes in place of the 1 grapefruit - or possibly in addition to the grapefruit and the rest of the citrus - but I will reserve judgement until after I've tried the finished product.

** Looking back, I would probably prefer to use 2 onions, rather than an onion and the green onions. The green onions seem a little too harsh, or with too much bite right now, but I will reserve judgement until after I've tried the finished product.

The recipe above (when whipped through the blender) makes an interesting-looking concoction that is enough for two full slabs of spare ribs. I trimmed mine Saint-Louis style and then slathered the ribs (and trimmings) with the marinade, then wrapped them up and refrigerated them over-night. There was enough "marinade" left over for basting a little while cooking, so I will give that a shot, as well.

The ribs are currently sitting in the pit, soaking up pecan smoke and hopefully turning into something wonderful. My plan is to serve them with Jamaican Red Beans and Rice:

http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/jamaican-red-beans-and-rice_topic352.html


http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/banana-bread_topic3180.html

And iced tea, lemonade or beer - as the diners prefer.

Anyway, other than those two notes above, which still need a little working with, I think I have something good here that accomplishes my goals in a great way...we shall see!

Huge thanks to Mark for the advice and inspiration - I am indeed grateful, sir!
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
Sponsored Links


Back to Top
gonefishin View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 20 September 2012
Status: Offline
Points: 1778
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gonefishin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 July 2015 at 09:34
Sounds really good. I can't wait to see how this progresses.
Enjoy The Food!
Back to Top
pitrow View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 22 November 2010
Location: Newberg, Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 1078
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 October 2015 at 14:13
wow, these've been on the smoker for three months?!?! lol. Just kidding Ron. I know how things happen. I was just reading through threads and noticed this one didn't have a conclusion yet. Wink
Mike
Life in PitRow - My often neglected, somewhat eccentric, occasionally outstanding blog
Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 November 2015 at 19:41
Sorry, Mike - I've given up trying to get antything done "on time!" Ouch

Having said that, this came out very well, all things considered! The ribs were tasty and were done beautifully, with some good, dark colour and very nice tenderness. The fat had rendered nicely, there was a decent smoke ring, and just the right tug off the bone. Everyone devoured them, and there were no leftovers. to be seen.

Referring back to the notes above, A couple of limes in place of the grapefruit would be a great way to brighten the ribs up a bit. As Mark predicted, there was a "grapefruit bitterness" with the ribs - it wasn't bad or unpleasant, but it was there in a noticeable way. Adding the juice and zest of 2 (possibly 3) limes would really bring a sunny freshness to the party that would send this marinade over the top. 

The question remains: keep the grapefruit, or leave it out? 

Well, after tasting the finished ribs and thinking about it, my answer would be this: if you like the "naranja agria" profile of Seville oranges in Yucatan and Puerto Rican cooking, then do keep the grapefruit in the marinade - but if it isn't your thing, then leave the grapefruit out and use more limes.

As for the onion question above, I think it comes down to personal choice. My own choice would be to use 2 onions, and skip the green onions. But if one likes the bite that the green onions provide, then go with 1 onion and two bunches of green onions - simple!

Another suggestion from Mark - shallots, rather than onions. I like that idea, so I will go with it next time.

One other thing I noticed was that the wonderful Caribbean spices that I had added to the marinade may have been a bit too subtle for my taste - I would have preferred to have them a little more in the foreground, and as such would be tempted to increase the amounts; however, I will leave them as they are, for now.

With that, here is my "new" recipe, after the above mentioned tweaks:

Robichaux’s Sun-Kist Adobo Jerkado

2 lemons - zest and juice
2 to 3 limes - zest and juice
2 oranges - zest and juice
2 Onions or 4 shallots
4 to 6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp ginger (fresh)
2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp mace
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp clove
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup oil
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 April 2017 at 10:15
Hey, guys -

I don't know what happened, but I never did get a follow-up for this one. I hope to change that, this weekend.

The beautiful Mrs. Tas wants some pulled pork BBQ, with a Caribbean twist -and I immediately thought of this experiment that I did. I plan on giving it a try this weekend, with the changes that Mark suggested (limes, shallots).

The latest version of the recipe that I see is here:

Quote Robichaux’s Sun-Kist Adobo Jerkado

2 lemons - zest and juice
2 to 3 limes - zest and juice
2 oranges - zest and juice
3 or 4 shallots
4 to 6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp ginger (fresh)
2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp mace
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp clove
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup oil


As for adding any "hot" peppers, I will definitely consider it. The Beautiful Mrs. Tas is very sensitive to anything that is very hot...say, jalapenos, but I might be able to find a milder pepper - perhaps Fresno? I'll check. She seems to do okay with plain, old chili powder, so I always have that in the tool belt as an option.

For the oil in the recipe, I think I have some annatto seeds somewhere - this might be a good opportunity to make some annatto oil and kick up the Caribbean profile a bit.

There are a couple of other things I am wondering about, and am hoping that Mark or someone can offer some insight -

a) Would this recipe translate well to pulled pork? I think that it would, but there might be a factor that I am not considering.

b) Any suggestions for a simple, non-complicated, well-balanced finishing sauce that would fit within the theme? I've got a couple of ideas, but I'd like to see what the Knights of the Round Table have to say.

I'll be shopping in about 5 hours for the stuff to do this, so any ideas will be appreciated.

Ron
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 April 2017 at 10:41
Whoops - here is the other question that I was going to ask:

Should I double the spices? Or perhaps simply keep everything at the same ratio and double the recipe itself? Those pork shoulder roasts are big hunks of meat!
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
HistoricFoodie View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 21 February 2012
Location: Kentucky
Status: Offline
Points: 4940
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 April 2017 at 06:10
If I'm reading your notes right, Ron, this makes enough for two slabs of ribs. If that's the case, I would definitely double the recipe for pulled pork. Marinate the pork in the mixture, use it as a mop, and, mix whatever is left into the pulled pork to further spread those flavors.

I would be a little leery of doubling the nutmeg, mace, and clove, though. A teaspoon of "nutmeg" is already a pretty strong hit. And cloves, as I'm sure you know, have a lot of reach

But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket
Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 April 2017 at 08:25
I wasn't able to put this concept together over the weekend, but we still had some good food. I was able to barbecue some spare ribs Greek style on Saturday, and I prepared a Cuban pernil on Sunday. Both turned out very well.

I should have everything in place to do this with my next pork shoulder barbecue, and am looking forward to giving it a try.

Brook, thanks for the advice - your suggestions make perfect sense, and will guide my path ~
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.215 seconds.