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Jerk Pork

Name: Jerk Pork
Prep time: 36 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 3 lbs pork shoulder; 4 Scotch bonnet peppers; 2 tbsp allspice berries; 6 cloves garlic; 1-inch piece ginger; 6 scallions; 3 sprigs thyme; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 2 tbsp lime juice; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp black pepper

Jerk Pork reads umami 7.1, sourness 5.3 and richness 5.3 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Jamaican main, about 40 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 7.8 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 3.6 / 10
Sour & Bright — 6.8 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.7 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.6 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.1 · Sourness 5.3 · Richness 5.3 · Citrus 5.1 · Salinity 4.5 · Allium 3.8 · Sweetness 3.3 · Heat 3.2 · Warm Spice 2.8 · Funk & Ferment 2.6 · Herbaceous 2.6 · Bitterness 1.4 · Earthy 1.3 · Floral 1.2 · Nutty 1.0 · Fruity 0.8 · Smoke 0.8

What's in it (14)

3 lbs pork shoulder
4 Scotch bonnet peppers
2 tbsp allspice berries
6 cloves garlic
1-inch piece ginger
6 scallions
3 sprigs thyme
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp black pepper

Time & effort: about 40 min (36 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 175.7 kcal, 9.9 g protein, 13.8 g fat, 3.2 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (4 steps)

Blend the jerk marinade of Scotch bonnet, allspice, garlic, ginger, scallions, thyme, soy sauce, brown sugar, and spices into a thick paste.
Coat pork pieces liberally and marinate at least overnight.
Slow-grill over pimento wood or charcoal on low indirect heat for 2 to 4 hours depending on cut, basting with marinade, until deeply charred and smoky.
Chop and serve with hard dough bread.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Ground Beef Kofta Stuffed Pitas — Middle Eastern
Jerk Chicken — Jamaican
Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks — Indian
Sheet-Pan Steak Fajita Nachos Bake — Tex-Mex
Pork Chile Colorado — Mexican

Keep reading: what umami, sourness, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.