Jerk Pork with Jerk Sauce and Mango & Pineapple Relish

This was really good. You’ll need a few jerk ingredients (allspice, scotch bonnet chilies, thyme and lime). Jerk is synonymous with chicken; but lamb or pork is also good. The recipe here has many elements – but of course you could simply prepare a jerk marinade for any kind of meat and serve it with heaps of steamed rice and loads of fresh salad.

NB: The meat is from CD Jennings & Sons in Surbiton. They buy their meat as whole carcasses so all the cuts and joints will be sold at the counter. Over time, different cuts shift in and out of popularity; today, the shoulder is in fashion (for slow braises and pulled-pork recipes). This means the leg is now full of excellent value. Ask for thick leg steaks. The only thing to remember with leg of pork is that it’s very lean – so get your barbecue nice and hot and don’t cook any longer than necessary. The little extra care is well worth the trouble – the marinade adds flavour and helps retain juices and the quick hot cooking will keep the meat tender and tasty.

Make the jerk marinade. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until it’s a smooth paste. NB: Scotch bonnets are very hot chillies. You can cut back on these but remember the overall balance of flavours will need some heat. Try putting in one chilli to begin with and taste. Add another if it needs it.

Marinate the pork. Cut the pork into pieces about the size of a chicken thigh. Massage the jerk into the meat and allow to marinate in the fridge for 2 – 4 hours.

Make the Jerk sauce. Put the onion, celery, pepper and chilli into a large sauté pan; pour over a good glug of olive oil and gently fry on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Add the spices and continue to fry for 5 minutes. Add the wine and let it reduce, then add the tomato puree, plum, soy and Worcestershire sauces and sugar and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock and mango, cover and simmer for 45 – 60 minutes. Add the thyme 15 minutes before the end of cooking. Using a stick blender blitz until smooth (or cool slightly and transfer to some other type of blender or processor). If desired, push through a strainer for a smoother texture. Taste, season and adjust.

Make the mango and pineapple relish. Chop the fruit into small pieces. Chop the onion finely and put into a bowl and add the salt, sugar and lime. Set aside for 20 minutes to lightly pickle the onion and then add to the fruit and stir. Just before serving, add the chopped herbs and a little oil. (The lime and oil make a dressing for the fruit.) Taste and adjust seasonings.

Make the coconut rice. Chop the onion finely and put into a thick-bottomed pan with lid. Fry gently on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the rice and continue to fry for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put the coconut milk and an additional 275ml water into a pan and bring to a simmer. When the rice has been frying for 5 minutes add the liquid and bring this to the boil quickly – then immediately set at the lowest heat and secure the lid tightly. Cook for 20 minutes and then turn off the heat. Let the rice sit for 15 minutes (without opening the lid – okay, just one small peek to see all is well…). Stir just before serving.

Cook the pork. Get the barbecue ready – it needs to be hot. Scrape off most of the marinade and place the meat on the grills. Scatter over some thyme. Cook the steaks until browned and charred from the grills. Turn over and continue to cook. Press with you tongs to see how soft the meat is inside. Do not let it go firm. Take a piece off to test if necessary. It should still have a slight pink centre. Then take off and place in a dish. Drizzle over some olive oil and cover with foil to rest for a few minutes (where the steaks will continue to cook beyond the pink stage). This is how my pork looked straight off my gas barbecue:

Serve. Serve the pork with rice, lettuce leaves with relish and a wedge of lime. Let people help themselves to the jerk sauce.