Dondero: Savory jerk chicken is a Jamaican favorite

What could be more Jamaican than jerk chicken? How about reggae or Bob Marley?

Actually none of them were known during the summers of 1964 and 1965 that I spent in Jamaica doing my thesis research. In reality, all three were starting then but still were below the radar.

Jerk cooking, or "jerking," evolved from the slow fire-roasting of meat practiced by Jamaica's original American Indian inhabitants.

In its modern form, jerk emerged in rural Jamaica in the late 1960s. Roadside vendors there would rub meats with spices and grill them over smoldering wood or charcoal in halved oil drums.

Allspice, the dried berry of the Jamaican "Bay" tree, is the only true spice native to the Western Hemisphere. It is nearly invariable as a seasoning in jerk chicken and pork recipes. The other constant is the fiery "Scotch Bonnet" chili, similar to habanero. (I use cayenne for convenience.) Beyond allspice, chilies and salt, recipes vary widely.

My spicing is for chicken. For pork or lamb, leave the salt out of the rub so it doesn't toughen the meat, then salt generously just before cooking.

Rather than grilling, I actually roast the chicken in a moderate oven on an upper shelf.

The chicken may not have that wood-smoke flavor, but it still tastes rich. If grilling over wood or charcoal, the fire must be very low.

Either whole chicken or chicken leg quarters do well, and are economical. For moistness, the chicken should have the bones in. Removing the skin is optional, but much healthier. The rub should be applied 12 to 24 hours before cooking.

A spicy Jamaican dish like this signals beer. Red Stripe is brewed on the island. But a hearty red wine, not too refined, also would do well, something like a Zinfandel or a South American Merlot.

The chicken also benefits from side dishes of seasoned rice and spicy, slig

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