The Secret to Perfectly Smoked Jerk Starts With the Seasoning

In the Spotlight: Spice it up

It’s spicy, it’s pungent, it’s jammed full of flavours you can’t quite put your finger on. It’s jerk! But what exactly gives jerk that distinctive and unforgettable taste? At Orangeville’s upscale Jamaican restaurant Chillout Cove, run by husband-and-wife team Michael and Patricia Hall, all the recipes are Patricia’s originals, including the jerk seasoning. Scotch bonnet peppers and ground allspice – the berry of the Jamaican pimento tree – mix and mingle with seasonings like ginger, onion, thyme, nutmeg, scallion and other herbs to create the marinade for chicken, meat and seafood. 

After it’s seasoned, the meat is traditionally grilled to bring out that smoky, charred appearance. One of their most popular dishes, jerk brisket, is slow cooked for 15 hours in a specialized oven with a smoke box. “Real jerk has to have that smoky flavour,” Michael says. “The marinade is the backbone, but the smoking is what finishes it off.” The menu also includes jerk wings, jerk-blackened salmon, and jerk chicken. 

But, they’ve been careful not to make the spice level too intense. “Some people think ‘It’s gonna kill me, I can’t touch it,’ but here they’ll find that’s not the case,” says Hall. “We want to give you a flavour explosion, not burn you.” 

Fans of Jamaican flavours should also check out Fiona’s Cuisine, which moved from its first spot on Highway 10 to a new location in Bolton last year, but is still serving fan favourites like oxtail and beans, fresh seafood, and rice and peas.

A good ribbing

It’s three days of mouthwatering ribs, beer, live music and family fun at the annual Orangeville Rotary Ribfest July 17 to 19. And while the “ribbers” take centre stage, a lineup of local food trucks adds to the feast. Joe O’Gorman of Paco’s Tacos can attest that it’s a crazy weekend of food and fun. “We’ll put in a 40-hour week in three days,” laughs O’Gorman. “But we love how Ribfest brings the community together.”

Gone wild

Exotic game sandwiches – including an elk sandwich topped with roasted peppers and arugula – are on the menu at a new downtown Bolton shop and café. Smokin’ Fine Meats offers artisanal cuts you won’t find in the supermarket, such as elk, wild boar and bison, along with a range of smoked and cured salamis and pepperettes. 

Burger pit stop

Healthy Cravings Burger Bus was voted the best burger in Mulmur in 2023, when it was located there. Now based in Creemore, chef Brenda Beattie also serves fried chicken sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches and poutine, plus a gluten-free Dirty Salad which is “everything you want in a burger without the bun.”

From your friendly neighbourhood bakers

Using his father’s 20-year-old sourdough starter, Mono’s Sam Solomon is offering rustic country loaves with “a nice tan crumb that’s a little more rustic than your store-bought bread.” Order online through Instagram @sammakesbread for local pickup and delivery in Orangeville and Mono, or find him this summer at the Orangeville and Erin farmers’ markets. 

Curry-seeded baguettes, expertly layered bi-coloured croissants, pistachio flan pastries and classic pain au chocolat are coming to Caledon’s Rock Garden Farms, thanks to third-generation family member Stefano Galati’s recent training stint at Ferrandi Paris. Galati described studying culinary arts in France – the only country where baguettes are on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List – as a true adventure that made him “excited to bring new recipes home.” 

And if you’re up early on a Saturday morning, snag a freshly baked loaf at Crust and Chaos, a quirky “bread cabin” in Hockley village. Simon Silander, “the 100 Acre Baker” and founder of the original Brick Street Bakery in Toronto’s Distillery District, also serves savoury focaccia, cinnamon buns and Danish pastries. Order online for Saturday pickups.

Mark your culinary calendar

Al fresco events are one of the pleasures of summer in the country. Start with the Spruced Summer Solstice dinner, a 10-course meal at Green & Bloom Farm in Laurel on June 20, where Burlington’s “sandwich speakeasy,” Spruced, will create a tasting menu fresh from the farm – including leafy greens, snap peas, early brassicas and crunchy radish – to celebrate the longest day of the year. 

At Lennox Farm’s popular field-to-fork dinners, which feature in-season fruits, vegetables and herbs from their farm, and locally sourced ingredients, diners take an immersive culinary journey that encourages conversation, connection, and a deeper appreciation for the land and the people who work it. These events are held monthly from June through October. 

Grand Valley chef Jex Paisley of Transcend by Jex Meals will be grilling up a storm at the Streams Community Hub in Shelburne on June 26 for a free Summer Kick-Off BBQ and Open House, with face painting for kids, live music and other activities.

Skip breakfast before you head to the Caledon Canada Day and Strawberry Festival on July 1 at the Caledon Village Fairgrounds so you can enjoy the all day strawberry breakfast, desserts, birthday cake, and more.

And on August 25 at GoodLot Farm & Farmstead Brewing Co. in Caledon, toast the United Nations’ International Year of the Woman Farmer at a fundraising event for Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance with some of Headwaters’ most remarkable farmers. headwatersfoodandfarming.ca

It’s a brew-tiful day for a collab

Crispy, golden arancini, pillowy gnocchi, wood-fired pizzas, and burgers topped with fried mortadella and provolone are just some of the Italian street-food-inspired bites Sulla Strada will be serving at Mono Centre Brewing Co. this summer. Run by chef Paul Fuda of Orangeville hotspot The Craft Pizza Bar + Italian Kitchen, Sulla Strada – Italian for “on the road” – will be popping up on weekends with a changing menu.

Brewery owner Zach Gammage recommends pairing these plates with a pint of Italian-style Headwaters Hopped Pilsner, which he describes as “smooth, clean and very approachable.” There’s also soft serve gelato, sorbetto and affogato espresso.

New look, fresh spirit

A warm wheel of Le Pizy brie from Quebec, topped with a pear-ginger glaze and walnuts, and served with slices of crisp apple and golden crostini is just one of the new plates on Spirit Tree Estate Cidery’s refreshed bistro menu. Reason to check out the cidery’s swank renovation.

Kids in the kitchen

Palgrave United Community Kitchen is hosting two food-focused summer camps for junior chefs aged 8 to 12 in July and August. The week-long Dirt to Delicious sessions teach youngsters how to harvest and cook local seasonal produce. Also at the Kitchen, the 2nd Annual Caledon Junior Bake-Off from July 7 to 8 helps hone baking skills.

Smoke signals

Smoky. Fruity. Oaky. Coffee? For Dorian Childs of Pitmasters Choice Pellets in Grand Valley, it’s all part of building bold flavour at the grill. His wood pellets, crafted from cherry, sugar maple, hickory, apple and even whisky barrels from Niagara’s Forty Creek Distillery add a depth that gas grills can’t match. A line of spice rubs promises to perk up poultry and cuts of red meat, while the rustic garlic and butter pairs well with veggies. Cowboy Grit, blending ancho chili with finely ground coffee, gives meat a subtle kick. Find the full line at It’s In The Shed in Orangeville along with other retail locations.