JAMAICAN JERK CHIK’N CHILI

HOW TO MAKE CHILI WITH JAMAICAN JERK SPICES AND JACKFRUIT

It’s easy, If you get everything ready and lined up, like an assembly line, you’ll have everything in the pot, ready to roll, in less than 15 minutes. Once the ingredients are in the pot, all you’ll need to do is bring them to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until the chili begins to thicken.

First – Dice the peppers and onion and mince the garlic. Drain and rinse the beans, or measure out your homemade beans. Put the spices in a small dish. Drain and rinse, then chop the jackfruit. Open the container of tomatoes so it’s ready to go. Measure the water so it’s also ready to go.

Second – Sauté the onion and peppers until translucent and soft. Push the onion and peppers to the side of the pot and add the garlic and spices. Stir and cook until the spices release their oil and become fragrant. Quickly add the tomatoes, soy sauce, and water and stir well.

Third – Add the beans and jackfruit and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for approximately 2 hours so the spices have time to come to life and the chili thickens. Stir frequently.

Fourth – Once the chili begins to thicken, add the fresh thyme and cilantro and stir well. You can also add the cayenne pepper and brown sugar if you so desire. I added the cayenne because we love hot food. I didn’t add the sugar because I thought that the tomatoes added just enough sweetness. Now add the cornmeal and stir until completely combined. Cook for 15 minutes.

Four easy steps to the most delicious jerk chili that you’ve ever tasted.

This is a base recipe, meaning that you can make it your own. If you like a stronger cinnamon, allspice, or cumin taste, go ahead and slowly add more. If you don’t like one of the ingredients, leave it out (although, I’d suggest sticking to the base recipe [aside from the cayenne and sugar]). Make this your own.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil or 3 tbsp (45 ml) water
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 poblano or jalapeno chili pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
• 2 (5 g) tsp cumin
• 2 tsp (5 g) allspice
• ¾ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ cup (120 ml) soy sauce
• 1 (26 oz [750 g]) container chopped tomatoes
• 6 cups (1440 ml) water
• 1 (15.5 oz [439 g]) can of light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15.5 oz [439]) cans of dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (20 oz [565 g]) cans of young jackfruit, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup (10 g) fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried
• ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• Dash or more (if you like it hot) of cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tbsp (15 g) brown sugar (optional) See Note
• 1 tsp (more if you like) ground sea salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup (43 g) cornmeal plus ½ cup (120 ml) water

Instructions

1. Drain and rinse the beans and open the container of tomatoes. Measure out the spices (if you’re using dried thyme add to the spices) and place in a small dish. Coarsely chop the jackfruit.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil or water on medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent and soft, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Push the onions and peppers to the side of the pot and add the garlic and spices to the pot and stir until the spices release their oils and become fragrant (don’t overcook), approximately 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, water, soy sauce, beans, jackfruit, and cayenne (optional). Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for approximately 2 hours, or until the chili begins to thicken. Whisk the cornmeal and water together in a cup and add to the chili with the fresh thyme and cilantro. Add the salt and pepper. Stir well to combine and cook for 15 minutes. If you want the jackfruit to be more of a shredded texture, use two forks and shred the pieces.

Notes

NOTE: Jerk spices can be potent or subtle. This recipe is a base for you to go with. If you want a stronger flavor of cinnamon, or ginger, or any of the spices, individual or combined, feel free to add more to suit your tastes. Just make sure that you add slowly and taste often until you achieve your desired flavor. Brown sugar is another ingredient that you’ll find in Jerk spice. I didn’t think this chili needed it because the tomatoes added a nice touch of sweetness. If you want that rich sugar flavor, add 1 tbsp (15 g) of brown sugar.