Recipes
Oven-baked Jerk Pork with Festival Dumpling
Serves 4
| Prep Time: 4 hrs
| Cook Time: 2 hrs 20 mins
| Total Time: 6 hrs 20 mins
You may need: Jamaican Jerk
Discover The Recipe
Jamaican cuisine creates a fusion of flavors that will dance on your taste buds like a reggae rhythm. And when it comes to Jamaican culinary treasures, you can't ignore the fiery allure of jerk meats and fish. This Oven-baked Jerk Pork with Festival Dumplings recipe, my kind of recipe, is all about that. Now, let's talk jerk. This isn't just about spices; it's a cultural legacy that traces back to the Arawaks, the indigenous roots of Jamaica. They figured out a way to preserve and flavor meats using a blend of spices and smoking. Today’s jerk is a method—marinated pork, chicken, or fish in a spicy, aromatic concoction, traditionally cooked over open flames or pimento wood for a bold, smoky flavor. It's the beating heart of Jamaican cuisine, and this dish brings a taste to your kitchen.
Ingredients
Oven-Baked Jerk Pork:
4 lbs pork shoulder, pork butt or boneless pork ribs
1-inch piece of ginger, grated
6 stalks of scallion, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, smashed
3-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, or 2 jalapeño peppers seeded (optional heat)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbsp soy sauce or Jamaican browning sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Piquant Post Jamaican Jerk
1 tsp salt
Jamaican Festival Dumplings (optional):
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup fine yellow cornmeal
3-4 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup cold water
¼ cup milk or coconut milk, chilled
1 Tbsp vegetable oil + 2-3 cups for frying
For garnish: chopped cilantro, lime wedges
Notes
The festival dumplings are finished when they are golden brown and begin to float in the oil. If they are browning too quickly, lower the heat to Low.
Instructions
Prepare jerk marinade by adding ginger, scallion, garlic, fresh thyme, peppers, oil, lime juice, soy or browning sauce, brown sugar, Jamaican Jerk and salt to a blender or processor. Pulse to form a chunky marinade. Pour marinade over pork and marinate for 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove pork from fridge and bring to room temp. Transfer pork to a deep baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 1.5 hours, then uncover and bake for 30 mins until the pork is tender and reads 145 degrees on a meat thermometer. Adjust oven to Low Broil and caramelize the pork for 10 mins. Remove pork from oven and rest for 10 mins before slicing into large chunks.
Make the festival dumplings while pork marinates: combine flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk water and coconut milk together in a separate bowl. Make a well in the center of dry mixture. Pour in wet mixture ¼ cup at a time and mix to form a dough. Knead dough until it becomes soft and smooth. Lightly coat dough with oil and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Set aside for 1 hour.
Pinch off a small portion of the dough and form it into a cylinder (similar to a sausage). Continue this step until all of the dough is finished. Heat oil in a deep pot over Med heat. Test the oil by sprinkling in a bit of flour, if it bubbles oil is ready. Slowly lower the dumplings into oil and cook for 5 minutes each until golden (do not overcrowd pot). Place cooked dumplings onto a paper towel-lined plate. Serve the dumplings with the jerk pork and garnish with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.
Alternatives & Substitutions
Jerk Pork is a popular Jamaican delicacy that is savory, spicy and smoky. Traditionally, it is made on an outdoor grill over smoked pimento wood chips. This recipe for Oven-baked Jerk Pork gives you the same amount of flavor without the hassle.
Festival Dumplings are fluffy pieces of fried dough with a nutty, sweet flavor that is often accompanied by jerk meats. You can opt for whole wheat flour for a healthier option.
Browning Sauce is a condiment that is made from brown sugar and water and adds a bitter-sweet flavor and rich brown color to any dish. It is popular in Caribbean cuisine, especially in stews but can be substituted with dark soy sauce.
You can make this recipe plant-based by substituting the pork with meaty mushrooms like King Oysters or Maitake. Also check out our plant-based Jamaican Jerk Cauliflower Wings to add to your meatless recipe lineup.
Try our delicious Jamaican Jerk blend in other recipes like our Jerk Salmon Burgers with Rum Glaze, Jamaican Jerk Shrimp with Cou Cou, and this classic Jamaican Jerk Chicken.
Be sure to leave comments and feedback on your meals and experiments in the comments for others to read.
Post pictures of your masterpiece meal on social media and tag us. We repost!
Oven-baked Jerk Pork with Festival Dumpling
Serves
4
Prep Time
4 hrs
Cook Time
2 hrs 20 mins
Total Time
6 hrs 20 mins
Piquant Post spice you'll need: Jamaican Jerk
Ingredients
Oven-Baked Jerk Pork:
4 lbs pork shoulder, pork butt or boneless pork ribs
1-inch piece of ginger, grated
6 stalks of scallion, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, smashed
3-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, or 2 jalapeño peppers seeded (optional heat)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbsp soy sauce or Jamaican browning sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Piquant Post Jamaican Jerk
1 tsp salt
Jamaican Festival Dumplings (optional):
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup fine yellow cornmeal
3-4 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup cold water
¼ cup milk or coconut milk, chilled
1 Tbsp vegetable oil + 2-3 cups for frying
For garnish: chopped cilantro, lime wedges
Instructions
Prepare jerk marinade by adding ginger, scallion, garlic, fresh thyme, peppers, oil, lime juice, soy or browning sauce, brown sugar, Jamaican Jerk and salt to a blender or processor. Pulse to form a chunky marinade. Pour marinade over pork and marinate for 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove pork from fridge and bring to room temp. Transfer pork to a deep baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 1.5 hours, then uncover and bake for 30 mins until the pork is tender and reads 145 degrees on a meat thermometer. Adjust oven to Low Broil and caramelize the pork for 10 mins. Remove pork from oven and rest for 10 mins before slicing into large chunks.
Make the festival dumplings while pork marinates: combine flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk water and coconut milk together in a separate bowl. Make a well in the center of dry mixture. Pour in wet mixture ¼ cup at a time and mix to form a dough. Knead dough until it becomes soft and smooth. Lightly coat dough with oil and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Set aside for 1 hour.
Pinch off a small portion of the dough and form it into a cylinder (similar to a sausage). Continue this step until all of the dough is finished. Heat oil in a deep pot over Med heat. Test the oil by sprinkling in a bit of flour, if it bubbles oil is ready. Slowly lower the dumplings into oil and cook for 5 minutes each until golden (do not overcrowd pot). Place cooked dumplings onto a paper towel-lined plate. Serve the dumplings with the jerk pork and garnish with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.
Notes
The festival dumplings are finished when they are golden brown and begin to float in the oil. If they are browning too quickly, lower the heat to Low.
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