The Patty Wars

When you're buying a Patty for a Jamaican, make sure that you don't buy one from the wrong bakery. That's a big thing here in Jamaica. People will argue for hours, throwing reasons back and forth why 'their' bakery is the best. The bakeries i am talking about are Juicy Patties and Tastee, the two major ones that supply the Jamaican people with the very tasty pastries. Why do people argue over that you may ask, well, i don't know, some may say Juicy's patties have less crust and more meat, others will say Tastee's patties are flakier but it all just boils down to a matter of preference, there is no right or wrong answer with this argument.

All we know is that if you leave this island for a prolonged period you are gonna long for a bite into that golden brown bundle of goodness. The taste is indescribable and if you ask someone what is a patty and they don't know, that person isn't a Jamaican. In recent years patty fillings have gotten very diverse, at one time it was only beef now we have chicken, shrimp, lobster, vegetable and cheese, each tasting just as good as the next. But i should let you know Juicy Patties IS the best hands down, no argument there so i don't know what the big fuss is for.

Here is a Beef Patty recipe, i hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
Pastry:
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 cup solid shortening
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine
1/3 cup cold water

Meat filling:
2 tablespoon margarine
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon chopped Scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice berries
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup beef or chicken stock
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup water

Instructions
Prepare the pastry:
Sift the flour, curry powder and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the shortening and margarine until crumbly. Add the cold water to make a stiff dough. Lightly flour a wooden cutting board and roll out the dough until about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out 8-inch circles. Cover with wax paper or damp cloth until ready to use. You can place the dough in the refrigerator overnight. If you do refrigerate, remove the dough at least 15 minutes before using.

Prepare the filling:
In a heavy skillet, melt the margarine and saute the onion and Scotch bonnet pepper until they become limp. Add the ground beef, salt, pepper, curry powder and thyme and mix well. Brown the meat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the breadcrumbs and stock and combine all the ingredients well. Cover the skillet and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When all the liquids have been absorbed, the filling is ready. It should be moist but not watery. Remove the skillet from the stove and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare the patties:
Uncover the dough circles and place 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling on half of each. Moisten the edges of the dough with water and fold the dough circle over the meat filling. Pinch the edges closed with a fork. Lightly brush the pastry with a mixture of the egg and water. Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet for 30 to 40 minutes or until the pastry are golden brown.

Yield: 10 patties from here

This is how it should come out

Jerk

Jamaica is hailed as being the birthplace of Jerk; a method of slow cooking your food using special spices and herbs allowing for a unique flavor, aroma and taste. This worldwide phenomenon was first recorded among the Maroons, who were thought to have perfected the method from techniques taken with them from Africa and also from the natives of the Island at the time, the Amerindians. This was an excellent way to prepare food as it added a longer shelf life to their meats due to the 'curing' that occurred during preparation.

To obtain this unique flavor and the true jerk experience, a long process has to be followed. First the meat is seasoned with Pimento (allspice), garlic, onions, pepper (scotch bonnet), thyme, escallion and other spices and is allowed to marinate for at least overnight. The pimento is a crucial ingredient and must be present during the preparation. The marinated meat is then placed on pimento wood laid over charcoal and allowed to slow cook (at least an hour) until the meat is well done. Using this process all the spices are allowed to soak through the meat and this is where the aroma and flavor comes from.

In recent days some of these steps have been circumvented or replaced with more modern and faster techniques. In the early 1960’s entrepreneurs who wanted to capitalize on the jerking process devised a unique way of jerking that cut the time in half and made it available to the masses. Oil drums were cut in half and holes were made to allow the smoke to come out. The meat was then placed on a grill and allowed to cook over charcoal for a while. This commercialized the process and was an instant hit in the country. Tourists would come to the island and try this delicacy and wonder how they could make this in the comfort of their own home.

Modern jerk food can be prepared now at home with the advent of commercialized jerk seasoning. Companies such as Island Spice, Walkerswood and Eatons have bottled the same spices used for hundreds of years to jerk food and changed up some of the preparation method to maximize on the jerk flavor. Using your own barbecue grill, oven or stovetop and mix in some of these spices and you’ve got your own homemade jerk food.

In more recent years people have been experimenting with the types of foods that can be jerked and have been having some great and interesting results. To add to the traditional jerked products of pork, chicken and fish, people have been jerking soy products, beef, vegetables and goat, each capturing the unique jerk flavor. In addition to new jerk products, jerk vendors would normally sprinkle some Red Stripe Beer over the jerking food in the final jerking stages; this would add a nice tangy flavor. Each day more and more foods are being added to the jerk menu, many of these being discovered at the annual Boston jerk festival in Portland Jamaica. Thought to be the birthplace of jerking, Boston’s patrons have mastered the art of jerking with each vendor having his secret jerk spice mix. When you go there you are greeted with the smell of jerk pork cooking on pimento wood…an unforgettable aroma. You are then approached with a sample of some of the best jerk foods in the world, jerk pork, jerk chicken, jerked fish and for those vegetarians jerked vegetables. These jerked foods are generally served with fried Jamaican dumplings, bammy or festival…each indigenous to Jamaica and having their own unique and exquisite flavor that compliments your jerk food. And finally, wash down that sumptuous meal with a drink of some cool refreshing D&G Ginger Beer or Ting, which are native Jamaican beverages.

From its humble beginnings as a way of preserving food, Jerk is now a worldwide phenomenon, with its demand increasing in countries such as Canada, USA and Great Britain. Being hailed as one of the Top 20 food to eat before you die, Take a bite and lose yourself in a wonderland that we as Jamaicans have been lost in for so long. With Fast food companies such as Island Grill, Jerk is now a once stop away, competing with KFC and Burger King, the only difference is Jerk being healthy and nutritional.

Here is a video of a Jamaican man jerking some chicken using the drum pan method.