Bringing Boston jerk to Mandeville

Dave Lindo, Gleaner Writer

WILLIAMSFELD, Manchester:

WHEN ALVA Jarrett was setting up his jerk centre in Manchester, he journeyed all the way to Boston in Portland, the home of the reputed best jerk pork in the island, and brought back a chef. This was in order to capture that good tasting jerk pork at his Lucky Charm Bar and Jerk Centre.

"I wanted to provide my patrons with the real jerk pork," Jarrett related. "Other places in this region boil their pork, but that is not jerk in the true sense; so that is why I went to the real place, Boston, that knows just how to do it and carry our own chef here."

The chef in question is Clayton Wilson who was born and raised in Boston, and has been jerking pork and other meat in Boston from 1997.

"I learnt from one of the best jerk men ever in Boston, Micky," Wilson said. "I was his assistant from I was 22 until he passed away. I then worked on my own following his passing."

Jarrett explained his business decision: "I had the bar for about two years, but after a time I decided to expand the business and set up a jerk centre. So I thought it would be good to inject that original Portland jerk style here.

"A friend of mine who used to jerk in Mandeville told me about Clayton Wilson. I first spoke to him on the phone and then I drove to Boston, told him what I had in mind and convinced him to come back with me."

Wilson was excited in coming to Manchester. "I was pleased to come because I wanted to spread the good Boston jerk style to other places and let people experience the real thing," he said.

Explaining the style of the Boston Jerk Wilson said, "The secret is in the seasoning, that's a very important aspect of it. We also debone our pork. Therefore, if you order a pound of pork you get a real pound, no bones."

He added: "We also don't pre-cook our pork. So, if someone doesn't know how to jerk it that way parts of the meat will not be done properly. As well, we jerk it on pimento wood and sweet wood to give it that special flavor."

Great response

Jarrett said that the response has been great so far for the Boston-style jerk pork. "The people love it, we have a lot of customers coming again and again. It just tastes different from the rest and they love the authentic jerk style," he commented.

The Lucky Charm Jerk centre ,which is located a few metres from the Williamsfield roundabout at the entrance of the Content Road, also does jerk chicken, jerk pork sausages and jerk chicken sausages.

Other dishes are done by another chef Damian Brown. "The people love the sausages, sometimes we can't make enough," Wilson noted. "It's just the Boston style we giving them."

Photos by Dave Lindo