Flaming Joe’s Caribbean Style Jerk Sauce

Hey everyone! Devil Duck, here. After an extended absence, I’m back and will be getting some very overdue reviews done. Here’s my first one in a long string to come your way.

Flaming Joe’s Caribbean Style Jerk Sauce (Original Formula, 13.675 ounces)

Ingredients: Key Lime Juice, Soybean oil, Soy Sauce, Green Onion, Worcestershire Sauce (ingredients et al), Ginger, Habanero Pepper, Garlic, Cilantro, Chili Powder, Spices, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Sodium Alginate.

As you can see, this stuff is thick and has a lot of texture. The infamous “Spoon Test” gave my mouth a lot to process right off the bat. “Wow! Now this is a good Jerk Sauce!!” was the first thing that went through my head. At the same time, I thought that there was something missing, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. More on that later. The slightly grainy textures played all over my tongue, and there is some decent Habanero heat right up front, but not anything too overbearing. All of the other spices and ingredients are perfectly balanced, except for the Key Lime juice. Even though it’s the first ingredient, it really doesn’t stand out except for a little acidic sting.

The first time I tried this on food, I used it as a dipping sauce with a smoked chicken I did a few weeks ago. As a dipping sauce, I couldn’t have chosen a better compliment to my smoked chicken. The dark and Earthy sauce that Flaming Joe creates is just made for chicken. The sauce wrapped itself around each little morsel and gave me a nice spicy addition to my meal. But, more research had to be done.

I followed the marinade instructions right on the bottle that Flaming Joe was kind enough to include. If you have never prepared Jerk Chicken, you know it’s all about the preparation. Now, I’m used to dry rub style Jerk, so this was a little new to me. The process is simple enough. Place your chicken in a large plastic bag, cover with sauce, and let sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours before cooking. I decided to grill my chicken, because that’s the way I roll.

I don’t know about you, but I like dark meat chicken…especially Jerk chicken. So I went for the legs. The red looking chicken was a different sauce that I grilled up for lunches, so we’ll ignore those.

While grilling, I wanted to put some Jimmy Buffet on the stereo and make a few Margaritas. This was probably the best smelling Jerk chicken I’ve ever prepared. I’ve never been to Jamaica, but my little part of New Mexico was slowly making the transition.

Ok… Time to eat!!! Along with my chicken, my wife made some green chili rice with corn and cheese and a salad. This was its own little vacation on a plate. The Jerk sauce penetrated the chicken wonderfully and the heat built up with each bite, which was a little surprising. By the time I finished the three legs, the top of my head was sweating and I was addicted to the wonderful Earthy flavors dancing around my tongue…except for the lack of cracked black pepper. That’s the one thing I finally figured out was missing. But, I didn’t miss the lack of peppercorn flavor due to the fabulous Habanero substitution. Pure genius on Flaming Joe’s part!!!

People, if you like Jerk, get this sauce. If you’ve never tried Jerk, and are curious, get this sauce. I promise you that you’ll be in love with what Flaming Joe has to offer. He’s also been kind enough to create a milder version for those of you with family and friends that can’t handle a lot of heat.

Heat: 6.5

Flavor: 9.575