“It
doesn't get better than this - just thaw and cook, and the instructions are on
the label”
CPJ's Processing and Meat
Plant Consultant, Richard Hall, in an interview at the CPJ Montego
Freeport plant with the
Gleaner Food team on Saturday August 23rd 2014
Pork
is not exactly a favourite of Jamaicans, but the reason thus far isn’t clear.
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The
purpose of the study was to determine why Jamaicans don’t eat as much Pork as
our American or European counterparts. The main reason
I’ve concluded back then was that most Jamaican simply didn’t know how to cook Pork
as stated in my blog article
entitled “Ministry
of Agriculture and Fisheries Pork PR for increased Production - Jamaicans don’t
like Pork Because they cannot cook it”.
So
it’s nice to learn that a local Agricultural Processor CPJ (Caribbean Producers
Jamaica) has stepped up to the plate, so to speak. They have met Jamaicans half
way by offering Ready to Cook Pork in July 2014 that’s vacuum sealed and
microwavable to eat as stated in the article “PORK doesn't
get better than this! CPJ unveils Ready to Cook Meat”, Published Thursday
August 28, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.
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Good
to note here these are the same persons who back in February 2014 were
considering the growing of Rabbits for sale of Rabbit Meat to the Public as
stated in my blog article
entitled “Caribbean
Producers Jamaica Limited to go into large-scale Rabbit Farming - Rabbit
Farming is Viable as you just Ignore their Cuteness and slaughter the Bunnies”.
Rabbit
Meat has the potential to be huge, although I’m still awaiting News on it
though. But what about Pork? Can the CPJ succeed where the JSIF and the
Ministry of Agriculture has failed?
Why Jamaicans don’t
like Pork – Statistics and the fact it takes too long are the main culprits
Please
note my blog article isn’t based on the JSIF Pork Study, as I haven’t got access
to it, although I can request it under the Access to Information
Act!
Some
quick stats on the Pork Industry in Jamaica:
1.
6,500 people employed
2.
1% to of Jamaica's GDP (Gross Domestic
Product)
3.
US$12.2 million of Imported Pork
In
terms or production, Pork was on a high:
1.
5.5 million kilograms in 2002
2.
9.1 million kilograms in 2008
After
2009, the year the Recession hit the US as noted in my blog article
entitled “EU,
USA and the Second Recession - Economist Dennis Chung's Andromeda and The Long
Night”, production dropped and is still spiraling downwards:
1.
2 million kilograms in 2007
2.
737,527 kilograms in 2009
This
shocking drop is what the JSIF Study sought to explain which my article has
pretty much done. We're not eating more imported Pork, as even that's too
expensive when compared to regular Meats like Chicken, Goat, Cow Meat and Beef.
Rather, as a fast-food country, we just can't take the time and patience to
cook Pork, as it requires too much cooking and attention.
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To
expand on my blog article
entitled “Ministry
of Agriculture and Fisheries Pork PR for increased Production - Jamaicans don’t
like Pork Because they cannot cook it” you don’t use oil to cook Pork, but
rather use a Pressure Cooker or direct flame on the seasoned Meat i.e. Jerking
or Baking in an Oven. Frying Pork is a contradiction, as it’s mostly fat and you
can remove it and use it to basically fry in its own fat at high heat. This is
very unhealthy by the way, as Pork contains a lot of unhealthy so-called
unsaturated Trans-Fats.
Most
Jamaicans don not known this, as Pork has never been a part of our diet since
slavery and Colonial times; we’re mostly a nation that grew up on Chicken,
Goat, Cow Meat and Beef. The habit of having a Pressure Cooker or a Grill as
part of your Kitchen or even the habit or cooking over an Open Flame of using
the Oven to cook meals on a daily basis just isn’t traditional of the typical
Jamaican!
Probably
Maroons or people living in Rural Jamaica still cook with an Open Flame. But
people living in Urban areas such as Montego Bay in St. James, Manchester in
Mandeville, May Pen in Clarendon or Kingston in Kingston and St. Andrew cook
over a stove, typically with an Oven, with the Microwave being used to heat up
food or prepare Popcorn.
We’re
more of a fast-food culture which the Ministry of Health is considering Taxing
in the form of a “Junk Food” Tax as detailed in my blog article entitled
“Min.
of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson proposes financing Health Care via a Fast Food
and Junk Food Tax - Jamaican High Schoolers Addiction to American style Fast
Food”.
Food ready under 30 minutes, as anything
beyond that is considered as taking too long by Jamaicans now thoroughly
addicted to Fast Food from Burger King, KFC, Wendy’s, Juici Beef, Tastee and
even Island Grill.
SDA and Rastafari –
Small numbers and Contradictory behaviour cannot influence Eating Habits
Thus
the difficulty of Cooking Pork using a Pressure Cooker or direct flame on the
seasoned Meat means hours in the kitchen using up lots of Cooking Gas instead
of just a quick in-and-out of the kitchen in under 30 minutes is the main
reason for the dislike for Pork. This is usually what many Jamaicans housewives
and even experienced chefs dread; it has to be done right otherwise it won’t
taste good.
We
also have an anti-Pork culture made mainly of Rastafarians and Seventh Day
Adventists, but their group is too small to influence the population at large
to not eat Pork. Many claim this is the reason why we don’t eat Pork. But
that’s not logical, as more than 10% and closer to 40% or 50% of the population
would have to be Rastafarian and SDA (Seventh Day Adventists) for them to have
that level of influence over Jamaican eating habits and for this to be logically
true.
Plus
by right, SDA aren’t supposed to eat Meat in the first place and many ACTUALLY
eat Meat, including Pork, under the cloak of secrecy at home or whenever the
Boston Jerk Festival rolls around! The fact that they eat Meat means there’s little
to stop them from eating or even tasting Meat that’s Pork disguised as Chicken
or some other popular Jamaican Meat or even the sauce being made from Pork Oil,
as I’ve mentioned above.
This
contradictory behaviour in the eyes of many Jamaicans, along with other unusual
Food eating habits, make them bad influences to the General Population,
especially as their Religion is so anti-Secular and by virtue of their
Sabbath-keeping practice, sets them apart from a society that still works on
the weekends.
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Add
in the fact that it’s expensive and you might mess it up in the kitchen and
Jamaicans will naturally stay away from dabbling in Pork. Finally, there’s the
fact that Pork is normally associated with Boston Jerk Pork, the main form of Pork
that Jamaicans know. To that end, many Jamaicans eat Pork, but only on the
occasion when it’s Jerked.
And
yes, that’s true for BOTH SDA and Rastafarians!
Ready to Cook Pork –
Less hassle in the kitchen to cook a Meat that’s hard to cook
CPJ
is celebrating 15 years in Jamaica. Thus it’s quite fitting that they’ve chosen
to launch this product that’s made from 100% Jamaican Pork, which is a great
way to support the JPFA (Jamaica Pig Farmers' Association) in getting more
Jamaicans to eat Pork.
This
initiative just might work, as it’s similar to Bacon option at Mothers
Enterprises Restaurants where you have the option to supersize your Chicken or
Beef patty with strips of Bacon or extra Cheese if you ordered a Hamburger.
Bacon is Pork folks, and to humans, even Jamaicans, it’s irresistible.
This
after their initiative to introduce Jamaicans to Pork via Pork Patties failed
in spectacular fashion back in 2009 as stated in “Pork patties, anyone?”, published Monday, September 21, 2009 by
Garfield Myers Editor-at-Large South/Central Bureau, The Jamaica Observer.
CB
Group had also tried, investing some JA$400 million to convince Jamaicans to
eat Pork back in 2011 as stated in the article “CB
spent $400m to get more Pork eaters”, published Wednesday, April 06, 2011, The Jamaica Observer. But to no avail, with their development of
vacuum-sealed plastic container being a possible consolation prize for having
failed to crack the Pork Market, as making Meat stay fresh longer seems to have
made all their Meats, including Pork, sell faster.
This
is far different.
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This
most likely involves the Pork being first cured in a Curing Cabinet. Then it’s tenderized
using papaine, mechanical tenderization or using a Pressure Cooker, Sous Vide
Style so that it doesn’t lose it body or savour.
Then
it’s cooked further in a manner based on the type of Ready to Eat Meal being
offered:
1.
Mesquite
2.
Mojito
3.
Jerked Pork
4.
Shoulder Roast
The
Meat once cooked, it is then vacuum-sealed in a manner similar to how CB Group
currently vacuum-seals their Meat in plastic containers, saving on the use of
Styrofoam in their packaging as described in my blog article
entitled “CB
Group's Safe Food Movement Vacuum Sealed Tray-less Meats - Trend toward Vacuum
Sealing in Jamaica to stretch Food Budget and reduce Refrigeration”.
CPJ is going places
with Pork – Rabbit Meat and Wines are next on the Jamaican Menu
CPJ
is definately taking the JPFA places with their line of Pork Products, to quote
CPJ's Processing and Meat Plant Consultant, Richard Hall: “We have an
exceptional relationship with the Jamaica Pig Farmers' Association.....We have
the traditional, streaky loin and we have the only jerked bacon on the market”.
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CPJ
markets Ready to Eat along with their line of other products:
1.
Breakfast sausages
2.
Chorizo
3.
Italian
4.
Jerked Bacon
5.
Pepperoni
6.
Picnic Hams
Interestingly
they sell Ham Steak, for those of you who are fans of such strange Meat
hybrids, to quote CPJ's Processing and Meat Plant Consultant, Richard Hall: “We
are the only company that does ham steak - a good choice for breakfast”.
So
will Ready to Eat be a hit? When I see Pork being eaten everywhere in
Swallowfield near to the National Stadium and in Milk River, Clarendon on the South
Coast, I'll be the first to blog about this phenomenon, Statistics and all!
