Marc Mclean of Uncle Joe’s Jerk was kind enough to share his Jamaican curry mutton or goat recipe with us! Uncle Joe’s Jerk serves Jamaican food at the Well Street Market in Hackney East London, England every Saturday from 10:30 am to 4 pm. Uncle Joe’s Jerk adds a modern twist to authentic Jamaican recipes that have been passed down in the family. All of the dishes are made from scratch using natural ingredients. Be sure to try their Jerk Chicken, which is seasoned with sweet and savoury spices and a delicious fruit infused sauce that is one of a kind – a mixture of old school Jamaica and sunny Los Angeles, while cooked by a Londoner. Follow them on Instagram (@joesjerk) for their latest updates!

I love the story behind how Uncle Joe’s Jerk got started. Uncle Joe’s Jerk was started in dedication to Marc’s dad, Joe, who was a legendary Jamaican chef based in LA.  He had a small restaurant/cafe called “Joe’s Universal”. Joe made a big impact to the LA Caribbean food scene and was present at all the big concerts and small community events around Southern California. He was well known for his Jamaican specialty dishes: Jerk Chicken, Curry Goat, and Steamed Snapper. Sadly, Uncle Joe passed away in 2015, leaving behind his four sons and three daughters. One of his sons, Marc, was based in London, England, but couldn’t let Joe’s recipes go to waste, so he started Uncle Joe’s Jerk.

Authentic Jamaican Curry Mutton or Goat Recipe

adapted from Marc Mclean of Uncle Joe’s Jerk

Ingredients

3 kg mutton or goat, chopped with fat trimmed off

1 Irish potato (add near end of cooking) (Note: Marc mentioned that you can use a general potato that you would use to make fries, such as Maris Piper. He recommended not using sweet potatoes. I used 3 medium sized generic white potatoes. The intention of the potato is just to thicken the sauce, but I added more potatoes than the recipe called for,  and I cut them into larger chunks, because I wanted them to be a substantial component of my curry dish.)

1 whole lemon, cut into quarters

6 cloves of fresh garlic

2 sprigs of thyme

1 bunch of scallions (spring onion)

Ingredients for spice:

10 grams of curry powder

4 grams of Jamaican all-purpose seasoning (Note: This can come as a paste or a dry mix. Marc said that if you can’t find it, you can use Lowry’s season or Mrs. Dash. I made my own dry Caribbean all-purpose seasoning using the recipe here.)

3 grams of cloves, grounded

3 grams of pimento (allspice), grounded

0.5 grams black pepper

Method

1. Squeeze the lemon over the meat massage it a bit. Then wash with water.
2. Drain off the water and transfer the meat to a large mixing bowl.
3. Cut up the scallion, garlic and thyme.
4. Combine the fresh ingredients with the spices and rub into the meat for approximately five minutes.
5. Cover the bowl with clear wrap and leave it in the fridge for 2 to 24 hours (the longer it’s left to marinate the better it will taste).
6. Using a pot with a heavy base (Note: I used a dutch oven) add the marinated meat and set on a low fire and cover the pot.
7. After 30 minutes, begin to stir the meat in the pot. By now it will have begun to produce liquid.
8. Let the meat cook for a further 1 hour and 30 minutes while stirring occasionally and skimming the surface to remove fat. During this time, if the base of the pot begins to dry out, add a small cup of water and continue to do so if the base of the pot looks like it is drying out.
9. Cut the potato into small, 3 cm pieces and add to the pot. Cook for a further 30 minutes, this will help to thicken the gravy.
10. At this point you can also add some additional thyme and scallion to the pot, if desired.
11. Test the meat for tenderness, you should be able to cut through with a wooden spoon.  If not possible, keep on low heat for a further 30 minutes.
12. Once complete serve with white basmati rice or rice and peas.