I tried George “Lenky” Beckford’s Sweet Mango Cafe jerk chicken at the Travel & Adventure Show and it was spicy, flavorful and delicious. Lenky participated in the “Fiery Food Challenge” vs. other chefs. Below is the recipe for Sweet Mango Cafe’s jerk seasoning.
-JAY
Ingredients:
1 cup diced onion
3 green onions (scallions), green and white parts, chopped
1/2 cup minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 2 tsp. dried
1-2 tablespoons coarsely chopped ginger root (peeled by scraping)
2-4 Scotch bonnet peppers (Caution, these are super-hot, little babies)
1/4 cup pimento berries (2 tablespoons ground allspice)
1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup lime juice
4 bay leaves – crushed
Pinch of cane sugar
Directions:
If using whole, roast the pimento berries in a dry skillet until they are fragrant, about 2 minutes. remove and crush them to a powder in a mortar and pestle or spice mill. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree to make a pulpy paste or thick sauce. There will be about a cup or more.
Store in the refrigerator; it will keep for a month or more. Always check before using.
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4 Responses
Best chicken ever experienced thx u!Do you kno the method used to cook the chicken & what wood used to smoke the meat
Hi Carlon. We unfortunately don’t have that info. Sweet Mango Cafe closed sometime in the 10 years since the article was written, so it’s a little late to follow up with the restaurant. Thanks for reading and commenting!
if this was the place at Georgia Ave & Sherman Ave Petworth Metro – this was the best jerk chicken in DC we went there often. They used a pretty wide, actual charcoal-fired indoor grill (like the BBQ Rib folks), don’t know the chips.
They knew their stuff. Have you tried Caribbean Plate in falls church? There is also a small Jamaican carryout across the street from Takoma Metro…if it’s still there.