RateItAll: The Opinion Network

nice flavor

I've had puerto rican dishes that were out of this world! I wish I had the knack for making them like real puerto ricans do. Yum. Miss this.

Love their BBQ and Jerked Chicken.

I can't say that I have had much beyond Jerk Chicken, but Jerk Chicken is spectacularly good. One of my favorite plates is an order of Jerk Chicken, some rice and beans with some sour cream on top, and a little fruit to complement the peppery hotness of the chicken. Tasty.

This is the best of the best, but quite a challenge to do correctly on your own. In Atlanta, I was exposed to the most incredible jerk chicken (Eats was my fave; Bridgetown Grill isn't quite "purist" but still damn tasty). Over the last seven years, I've searched high and far to learn how to recreate that stuff on my own. Here are my findings: don't get suckered in by basic marinadesm, they're not worth it; get the paste stuff (Pusser's is the best I've come across, tho I'm going to try this Walkerswood Jamaican brand soon); I haven't figured out whether the dry jerk spice is an important variable or not, but it's nice to have handy for extra seasoning. Then, stay away from boneless breasts of chicken -- you want real chicken parts. Rub the paste stuff into the skin of the chicken, and then let it sit in the fridge over-night. The next day, slow cook your chicken in the oven at like 270 or so for 3 hours. Then, put it on a hot grill to finish. I know that real jerk gourmets use open air grill pits, etc., but this is the best approximation I've found for a regular guy in the suburbs of DC. Best to serve with black beans and rice, and then something fruity to give you some contrast from the spicy in your meal. But before you think that Caribbean food is just jerk chicken, let me tell you about another great delicacy that I try (oh how I try) to keep in my freezer at all times: Jamaican Beef Patties are the greatest frozen food around... actually, there's only one brand that I can recommend, Tower Isle Beef Patties, made in Brooklyn NY. I recently tried contacting the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to find out how to get more in my area, b/c they stopped carrying them, but no word yet. If anybody wants to send me some frozen beef patties, I would sincerely appreciate it. Especially if you see the Peppery Hot flavor. When I was in Rockaway NY a few weeks ago, I stocked up by taking every container they had (alas, they only had "Mild" flavor, still pretty good), but now I'm down to my last patty. Anyway, Caribbean food is the best. Take Ruby's word for it.