Recipes for Jamaican Barbecue

Hi Again,
I have been looking over some of my dads recipes for meat last night. I think I should start by saying that spices and herbs make the difference. One of the main things in treating meats is:

Citrus: In the Caribbean most native people treat their meats. Using orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice..these citrus juices have a high concentration of acid, which breaks down the meat before cooking. It also makes the meat tender and juicy. I hate to fight with my meat. It makes the meal so unpleasant and uncomfortable. A meal should be enjoyed and savoured so that it can be rememebered. It shouldn't be like you are going into battle for war.

When you get a nice cut of beef or chicken or fish...You should think about the flavours, and how you want it to taste. This is where your imagination comes into play. think about how you would like to present the meal to your family and friends..Do you want a meat that taste strong to the palette,or you want something that is soft and easy. their are so many ways to work meat

I just gave the basic. When I was kid on the 4th of July..My dad did traditional ribs and chicken, but he always did his jamaican jerk ribs and beef and chicken..That was the treat..My mum ran her chicken like an army camp. everything had it's place. My dad would always squeeze his lemon and limes two days before. The earlier the better.

The seceret he had for his wonderful ribs, was to remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs..This was a long process..but my goodness it was worth it..taking the membrane off makes the spices and herbs penetrate the meat, and allows the flavors go thru the meat.

It allows the juices of the citrus come thru and break down the meat. This is what makes the meat so tender and juicy. With pork you have to be very generous with the citrus juices..because pork is a tough meat by nature..It needs to be treated well and allowed to soak overnight.
if not, the eat when cooked on the barbecue can become dry and slightly bitter to taste. Pork must be slow cooked for the ultimate flavor to come thru.

This is a chemistry lesson in a way, When the juices hit the meat, they instantly react to the meat and begin the process of breaking down the fibers of the meat..which makes the fat content less and makes the fibers of the meat smaller. this is what pulls the meat away from the bone.
When this happens you know you will have a successful meal.

Tomorrow, I will start on how to prepare meats for the grill.
until then tata