Jamaican Jerk Marinade

Method

1. Put on disposable gloves before handling the Scotch bonnet peppers, since their oils are intensely hot and can burn skin and eyes on contact for hours afterward.
2. Combine the green onions, peppers, onion, garlic, ginger, and thyme leaves in a food processor or blender.
3. Add the soy sauce, vegetable oil, and lime juice to the processor.
4. Add the brown sugar, allspice, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg on top of the other ingredients.
5. Blend on high speed, scraping down the sides once or twice, until the mixture forms a mostly smooth, thick, spoonable paste; a few small flecks of onion are fine.
6. Taste the marinade cautiously with the tip of a spoon rather than a large bite, since even a small amount carries significant heat from the Scotch bonnets.
7. Adjust the heat by using fewer peppers or removing the seeds and inner membranes next time if it is too intense, or adding an extra half pepper if you want it hotter.
8. Score chicken pieces or pork through the skin in a few places to help the marinade penetrate, then place the meat in a large bowl or resealable bag.
9. Pour the jerk paste over the meat and massage it in thoroughly with gloved hands, coating every surface and working it into the scored cuts.
10. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and ideally 12 to 24 hours, since jerk flavor is meant to be deep and fully penetrating rather than a light surface coating.
11. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling, scraping off only excessive clumps of paste that would burn.
12. Grill over indirect medium heat, moving to a hotter zone briefly at the end to char the exterior, since the sugar in the paste will blacken quickly over direct high heat.
13. Wash your hands, gloves, and all surfaces and utensils that touched the raw pepper or marinade thoroughly with soap before touching your face or other food.