Most modern-day jerk recipes call for marinating the meat with an intensely flavorful liquid paste of island ingredients, then smoking it over pimento wood. When it’s all done, the meat emerges aromatic, woodsy, spicy, and sweet, with a clean, lingering burn from the fresh chiles. Fortunately, we were able to achieve the characteristic complex and balanced flavor with the right combination of stateside staples. Keeping the marinade paste-like and cooking the meat first over indirect heat prevents the jerk flavors from dripping or peeling off during grilling. And to achieve that complex smokiness that’s characteristic of jerk recipes, we supplemented a packet of hickory chips with a few spice-cabinet ingredients.