How to Marinate Chicken
One of the things that I learned growing up in Jamaica was that meats, poultry, fish, seafood, and everything in-between must be cleaned and seasoned or marinaded, preferably overnight. As a chef, do I cook like that today? Not so much. I do love a great marinade but I also love convenience. So, I created these Jerk Marinating Sauces to create a balance where you can do a long or short marinade without sacrificing spice and flavor in your favorite foods.
With each post, I will show you how to use our Jerk Marinating Sauces in your favorite dishes. They are super versatile where they are great on their own and even better when mixed and matched with each other. "
STEPS TO MARINATING CHICKEN
Buy the freshest chicken possible
I usually recommend that people find a butcher they trust. I have traveled outside my neighborhood to see my butcher and it was worth it because I was getting meat that were guaranteed fresh. If I can't make it to see my butcher, I usually opt for Organic Chicken. They usually, check off all the boxes that are important to me. USDA certified organic feed, free of pesticide, synthetic fertilizer, additives, or animal by-products and also free-range.
Cleaning Chicken
Although, I grew up "washing" chicken, I have eliminated that process. Your chicken will still have harmful bacteria whether it is washed or not. What guarantees your chicken being safe is first buying a chicken from a source or brand you trust and then cooking it to an internal temperature of 165°F.
If you do not like the sliminess of raw chicken you can buy chicken that is air chilled, they tend to be less slimy.
If you do not like the raws smell of chicken you can safely submerge your chicken in equal parts vinegar or lemon water. This can lessen the raw smell, decrease slime, and can actually create more tender meat when soaked long enough. I would recommend soaking for 30 minutes, then carefully rinsing with cold water and pat drying your meat with a paper towel.
According to the CDC, 'during washing, chicken juices can spread in the kitchen and contaminate other foods, utensils, and countertops.'
Marinating Meat
Take about 1/3 cup of your favorite Spanish Town Kitchen Jerk Marinating Sauce for every 3lbs of protein or vegetable. If you are in a time crunch a 1 hour marinade will suffice. But if you are looking for a deeper flavor cover your marinated chicken in your refrigerator overnight. You can keep the marinating sauce on your meat or remove depending on the cooking method of your choosing.
Cook as desired.
