Pork ribs marinated in fiery jerk seasoning, slow-grilled until tender and charred, a beloved Jamaican celebration dish.
Jerk pork ribs follow the same essential jerk seasoning philosophy as jerk chicken, scotch bonnet and allspice forming the marinade's backbone, but the longer, slower cooking needed for ribs develops even deeper smoky flavor. The ribs marinate for hours in the intensely aromatic jerk paste before a long, low grilling process that renders the fat and tenderizes the meat while the exterior develops a deeply charred, spicy crust. Served at Jamaican cookouts and beach parties, jerk pork ribs deliver the same beloved heat and smoke as jerk chicken but with the richer, more indulgent character that pork ribs bring to the dish.
Serves 4
Blend scallions, scotch bonnet peppers, ginger, garlic, allspice, thyme, brown sugar, soy sauce, oil, lime juice and salt into a thick paste.
Rub the marinade generously all over the ribs, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Marinate as long as possible — the ribs benefit enormously from extended contact with the intensely flavored jerk paste.
Set up a grill for indirect, medium-low heat.
Grill the ribs over indirect heat, covered, turning occasionally, for 75-90 minutes until very tender.
Move the ribs to direct heat for the final 5-10 minutes to develop a deeply charred exterior.
Let rest 10 minutes before slicing between the bones.
Serve hot with rice and peas or festival.
Marinate for as long as possible, ideally overnight, since jerk seasoning's depth comes from extended contact with the meat.
Grill low and slow over indirect heat for most of the cooking time, finishing over direct heat only at the end for char.
Add soaked wood chips to the grill if possible for extra smoky flavor, echoing the traditional pimento wood smoking method.
Spare ribs can substitute for baby back ribs, though they'll need a bit more cooking time.
A milder version reduces the scotch bonnet significantly for those sensitive to heat.
Wrapping the ribs in foil for part of the cooking time can help them stay extra tender.
Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container; reheat covered in a low oven with a splash of water to keep the ribs from drying out.
Jerk seasoning applied to pork ribs reflects the broader Jamaican jerk tradition rooted in Maroon culinary history, where slow-smoking meat over pimento wood with scotch bonnet and allspice became a defining national cooking method.
Yes, bake at 150C/300F for about 2 hours wrapped in foil, then finish uncovered under a broiler for a few minutes to char the exterior.
Habanero peppers are the closest substitute in both heat level and fruity flavor.
They need more time — continue cooking low and slow, checking every 15-20 minutes, until the meat is genuinely tender and pulls easily from the bone.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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