About fifteen years ago R. B. thought his next-door neighbor, who was out grilling some chicken, called him a jerk. Back then, R. B. hadn’t heard of jerk seasoning, and his neighbor seemed like a nice, quiet fellow who pretty much kept to himself. When R. B. turned down the Bob Marley, everything got straightened out, and the chicken was delicious. A jerk dry rub requires allspice, thyme, and some heat. The Scotch bonnet pepper is the traditional choice, but that’s too many Scoville heat units for us. We keep the heat out of the rub, then sprinkle on cayenne to customize the chicken to suit everyone.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 to 8 servings

　　4 pounds chicken drumsticks (about 12)

　　1/4 cup vegetable oil

　　4 tablespoons Cheater Jamaican Jerk Rub (page 46)

　　Cayenne pepper to taste

　　Lime wedges

　　

Step 1

HEAT the oven to 450°F.

　　

Step 2

PLACE the drumsticks on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil, coating the skin until it’s shiny. Sprinkle all sides of the drumsticks with 3 tablespoons of the dry rub. Roast for 20 minutes.

　　

Step 3

REMOVE the drumsticks from the oven and turn them over with tongs. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of dry rub and cayenne to taste for spicier drums.

　　

Step 4

ROAST for an additional 20 minutes. Serve with fresh lime wedges.

　　Cheater BBQ